Twilight the Rewrite
by Tprinces
Summary: Tired of vampires who sparkle? Wish Bella was less of a Mary Sue? Hoping in vain that Edward could some how be less of a pansy? It's all here in Twilight the Rewrite: How it should have been written.
1. Welcome to Forks

So, I've been thinking, and I decided to give this thing a try. I may not finish it, I'll tell you this right now, simply because I may not have the motivation to. But I might as well give it a shot. Let me get a few things out of the way first – for one thing, I'm not a Twilight fan. The reason I'm writing this is because I feel like the reputation of vampires needs to be fixed after the damned series. Yes, I've read it. Anywho, there's a few things you need to know right now:

1) There is NO SPARKLING. End of discussion.

2) Edward is NOT a perfect Adonis.

3) The "lion and the lamb" line? NOT gonna be in here. EVER.

4) Bella does NOT have five guys liking her at once.

5) The Cullens are NOT perfect "vegetarians".

6) There will NOT be paragraph upon paragraph of description of someone's eyes.

7) Edward is the ONLY vampire attending the high school, and for a special reason.

8) It will NOT be in first person, meaning that this Bella will NOT be a self insertion Mary Sue.

Now that that's finished, might as well start. I may hate myself in the end, but can't say I didn't try.

PS – if you're just going to flame me because of said reasons above, just don't read what I'm about to show you.

**Twilight the Rewrite**

**One: Welcome to Forks**

**T**he plane flight from Arizona to Washington wasn't particularly long. Yet to Bella, it seemed to take forever. She had tried to read to pass the time, but the feeling of reading on an airplane made her stomach queasy. She tried going to sleep, but her anxiousness stopped her from doing so. She was nervous, to say the least. She hadn't seen her father in over a year, though she had spoken to him leading up to the move. She sighed, letting her forehead rest on the cool window beside her, her fingertips trailing down the glass. She knew she would miss her life in Phoenix, just as much as she would miss her mother or her friends. In particular, her current boyfriend, Chris. It hadn't been easy parting with him. She flipped open her cell phone and began going through a few pictures of the two of them. In each one, he wore a charming, easy smile. It was the same smile that won her over just six months ago. She hadn't really had that many boyfriends before Chris, so it was much like leaving part of herself behind. When she couldn't bear to look at the phone any longer, she closed it and let her brown eyes move out the window. Her thoughts trailed to her mother. A tiny smile made it to her lips.

Her mom – Renee – didn't want her to leave. But Bella could see the joy in her face every time Phil came around. It was joy that her mother deserved. Ever since her divorce, Renee had been working as a single mom for about thirteen years or so. Usually, she had to take odd jobs as waitresses, bar tenders, and other miscellaneous titles. Many times, she wouldn't come home until well after eleven, and had to get up early the next morning. Bella did all she could to help make things easier for her. She tried getting a job once or twice as well, but her people skills weren't exactly… up to par. She had a horrible record for talking her own grave in interviews. Not to mention she dropped nearly every plate she carried as a server. A complete opposite of her mom. Bella sized the two up in her head. Renee had always been sociable. With men, with co workers, even with Bella's friends. Bella, on the other hand, would much rather sit silently and watch the world unfurl before her. While her mother looked youthful inside and out, with bright eyes and a beautiful disposition, Bella was taller then most of the others in her classes, with knobby knees and frizzy hair that she usually had to subdue with a pony tail holder. And unlike her mother, who had an even, desert tan, Bella had inherited her father's pale, Irish skin. She also had a relatively small bust, something she and her mother seemed to share. Despite this, Renee worked around it and looked dashing all the same. In any case, through her life of working dead end jobs with terrible hours, luck seemed to strike, when the bar she was working at the time was hosting an after ball game party for a minor league ball team. She and Phil hit it off the minute they started talking to one another. Bella noted that her mother had never been happier coming home that night. As their relationship grew to be more serious, it was obvious that Rene wanted to travel with him and his ball team. Which unfortunately gave Bella a choice: Watch her mother go back to misery because she didn't want to move around constantly, or let Renee have her long deserved fun and move to her father's in Forks. She didn't have the heart to go with the first choice.

Bella looked up as she heard the captain announce their landing. She buckled her seat belt and put away the books she had attempted to read, before staring out the window. Below her was a blanket of cloud, thick like a sheet of snow. They began to descend, and Bella watched as minuscule drops of water clung to the outer window, trailing the glass like quick snails. It was a bit bumpy once they got to the landing strip, but they soon slowed to a stop. Bella stood and began to gather her things, keeping out of as many people's way as possible. Once she finally had been able to inch her way off the plane, she migrated into the terminal, her teddy bear backpack clinging to her shoulders. She scanned the crowded area with her soft eyes, before spying a slightly crinkled man with a weary smile. Chief Charlie Swan waved at her, and she made her way to his side. They embraced for a moment or two, Bella sensing a faint after shave off of her father. It was apparent he wanted to look nice when he came to pick her up. Once they were finished hugging, Charlie carried her bag and the two walked through the airport.

"You haven't changed one bit you know," said Charlie kindly. Bella laughed at that, hands gripping onto her straps.

"I don't know if that's a good thing." She looked off to the side, absentmindedly reading the few travel posters that had been put along the walls.

"It is," said Charlie with a nod. After that, the two of them became silent. They didn't talk much whenever they met up. Not because they were awkward with one another. Quite the opposite, actually. The two Swans were comfortable enough with each other to come to several, nonverbal agreements that no one else seemed to share. Once they got out of the airport, they quickly found Charlie's car – the police cruiser that he drove – and headed onto the freeway. Forks, the town where she was moving to, didn't exactly have an airport, so Bella had to be picked up in Seattle. To pass the time, she kept her eyes out of the window, taking in the completely different atmosphere that she would now live in.

Perhaps it was just because she was used to a dusty, rust colored world, but everything there seemed to be either green or blue. The color of the numerous amount of trees that sat alongside the freeway bled out above and below them, tinting the world with their hue. Other then the constant, white noise buzzing of Charlie's radio, the car was silent. Finally, after a few hours of driving, Bella's gaze happened upon a wooden "WELCOME TO FORKS" sign that perched itself atop a small mound of grass that split the road in two. Only then did Charlie break the silence.

"So," he began. "Remember how we were talking about you getting your own car?" Bella perked and turned her eyes to Charlie.

"You got me one?" she said, her face brightening. They turned a corner and pulled into the drive way of Charlie's home, parking right beside an old, red truck. Bella brightened and hopped out, quickly moving forward to her new truck. Well… perhaps not _new_, judging by the body of the vehicle. Even so, she couldn't help but beam as she observed each and every clunky detail of the thing. Once she had finished circling the truck, she rushed back over to Charlie and hugged him tightly, practically knocking him off of his feat. "Thank you so much, Dad! I love it!"

"Glad you do," said Charlie, rubbing her shoulder. "I finally was able to get Billy to sell it to me."

"Billy?" Bella blinked for a moment. "Oh! You mean Billy Black, right?" Charlie nodded and they moved inside. The house was as same as ever, the hardwood floors still smelling of faint pine and orange. It was a two story house, with the bedrooms up one flight of stairs. The kitchen was a quaint, tiny place, with fading yellow walls and chipping tile counters. The living room had a fairly impressive TV set, no doubt to watch sports on, and a comfortable looking, if not some what aged, tan couch. It all had a warm, woodsy-type feel to its interior.

"Jacob fixed it up for the most part," Charlie continued, setting her bag on the floor.

"Is he in town?" Bella asked, eager to meet up with someone she actually knew. Until about a year ago, Bella would constantly take trips up to Forks to visit with her father, and sometimes the Blacks, the Native American family that lived on a reservation. Jacob Black was about two years younger then herself, so the two got along ok. Though she could remember some of her younger years in which she often saw Jacob as a little brother.

"Not right now," said her father. "He's getting his license at the reservation. Once he passes his test, he'll come to see you, he promises." After a little bit more of light conversation and an early dinner, Bella took her things up to her old room and plopped down onto the bed. It was a little bare, save for the boxes of her things that had been shipped out a week or so prior to her arrival. She began to unpack her things and set out her outfit for the next day. She still had a frizzy sensation in the pit of her stomach. Once most of her clothes had been unpacked, she pulled out her slightly outdated lap top and set it on the desk, plugging in her iPod to charge. After that, she laid down along her mattress and dialed Chris's number. She promised she'd call once she got there. It rang a few times before the appealing voice of a young man came on the other line.

"_I was wondering when you were gonna call,_" Chris said lightly. "_Starting to get worried that your plain went down._"

"Hi." She smiled, even though she knew he couldn't see it. "Sorry. It was a long drive from the airport."

"_Well be sure to drive faster next time. Oh, Maria swears she'll go crazy without you._" One of her close friends from Phoenix. "_She says that now she has no one to abuse. Except for me, of course._"

"Don't worry," Bella replied lightly. "I'll be down for a visit by summer." She sighed, turning her head to look to her now dark window. "It's so wet up here… and green. It's nice I guess… But I miss the desert already."

"_You miss this dry old sand box?_"

Bella's smile returned. "Well I do miss you, after all."

"_Right, right, I miss you too._" There was a bit of a silence between them. "_So, starting school tomorrow?_"

"Yeah… I'm nervous."

"_Don't be. Just act natural. And try not to break anything, all right?_"

She chuckled a bit. "I will…" They talked for a bit longer before saying goodnight. Bella plugged her phone into the wall before changing into her pajamas. She turned off all the lights and was about to go to sleep, when she noticed just how brightly the moon was shining. She walked to her window and laid her palm against the glass, looking beyond her new home. The silver light caused the dark forest to be even denser, the entirety of the trees just now one big, black form. The lunar mist highlighted the tree tops, causing them to glimmer against the back drop of navy and the foreground of black. It reminded her of the peaceful, Arizona nights. She was just ready to leave the window, when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

Squinting, she saw that the top of a tree was moving. She tried to see it in better detail, but the naked eye could only do so much. An idea came to her. Quickly, Bella rushed to her things and scrambled around for her binoculars. She used them often when she wanted to see the desert planes in better detail. She focused them and brought them to her eyes, pointing the lenses directly at the treetop.

The black that was the trees seemed much more dark green up close. Bella moved her binoculars up and down, trying to find whatever it was that was shaking the tree, when she caught it. She wasn't quite sure what it was; there was no animal that she could place with what she saw. It seemed to be a streak of white, zooming up the tree branch. And just before she was able to get a better look at it, it was gone, leaving the tree immobile once more. Slowly, Bella took away her binoculars, still staring at the same spot. She tapped the glass with a finger, trying hard to figure out what it was she laid her eyes on. A bear? No… bears here were brown. A bob cat, maybe? However, they liked higher altitudes and colder weather. Maybe she was just seeing things…

She shook her head and tossed the object aside, moving back to her bed. She tucked herself in, gaze lingering on the silvery moon, before her eyes grew heavy enough to close on their own, the sound of the woods lulling her to sleep.

Well, this was chapter one. Yes, it was different. Yes, Bella has a prior boyfriend. Yes, it was a bit info dumpy.

Either way, give me a review.

~T.


	2. The New Kid

Wow. My first batch of reviews and only one flame. I should either be impressed or disappointed XD In all seriousness, thanks for the kick in the ass, guys. I'll need it if I'm ever gonna get this thing finished.

**Two: The New Kid**

**T**he truck didn't drive as smoothly as Charlie's cruiser, but it still got Bella from point A to point B. And though it didn't move all that fast, she felt secure in a big box of metal. It was like her own little suit of armor, protecting her from the rest of the world. When she finally got out of the truck, she almost felt naked, having finally slipped into her newest reality. She had parked in an empty space, a good quantity of other cars having already arrived. Bella noticed that many of them were like hers in the fact that they were slightly outdated. At least her car didn't stick out all that much. She pulled her bear back pack on and cradled a book against her chest. If she could just seamlessly blend in, she'd be fine. Taking a breath, she moved forward, the cold wind of the morning biting at her face. The weather was defiantly a new experience in itself. Upon waking up that morning, she half expected to be roused by the golden rays of warm sunlight that so often greeted her face. But this morning, she awoke to the bleak, clouded day outside her window. She guessed it was something she would just have to get used to.

With her rubber boots squeaking beneath her, Bella made her way into the school building. She rifled through her pocket before bringing up a slip of paper that had her class schedule printed on it. She observed the small lettered numerals and asked around, until she stumbled upon her first class. Unfortunately, her inane sense of direction caused her to be about fifteen minutes late. Timidly, she opened the door, to see the teacher in the middle of writing something on the board. He turned his eyes over to her, as did the rest of the class – a kind of domino effect that Bella always a pored. He smiled politely at her.

"You must be Isabella Swan?" She nodded and made her way in with a careful step. The teacher turned to the other students, who were all looking at her curiously. It was obvious that some of them noted her last name. "Everyone this is our newest student, Chief Swan's daughter. She just moved here from Arizona. Why don't you tell a little about yourself?"

Bella shifted uncomfortably, moving her gaze about the room. She hated the spot light. She knew that people constantly made judgments the first five seconds of meeting a person. "Um… hi," she said, waving a bit. The class just stared at her, as if waiting for the girl to perform some sort of amazing stunt. "Well… um… My name's Bella and… I… like to read… and stuff…" She trailed off, a couple students chuckling at her nervousness. However, the laughter had more cheer then malice to it. The teacher clapped his hands.

"Right. Well, I'm Mr. Tesler, as I'm sure your schedule already pointed out. Now let's see… Who can I pair you up with?" He turned and tapped his chin, looking from face to face. However, everyone seemed to have some form of partner. As far as Bella could see, anyway. Perhaps she'd just end up with two partners? It might be easier then an abrupt, one-on-one interrogation with a single partner. However, Mr. Tesler seemed to find someone. "Ah, there we are. Mr. Cullen, you're still lacking a partner, right?" Bella blinked and tried to find whoever this "Mr. Cullen" was, but couldn't seem to find him. That is, until every head in the class turned to the very back. That's when Bella saw him.

Sitting in the far back of the class, slumped down in his seat, was a boy. He had a chalky, pale complexion that was nearly pasty. His eyes were sunken in and his face was horribly gaunt. He wore a thick, dark sweatshirt and black leather gloves, his hood sitting atop his head. His bangs were a faint caramel color, and his cheekbones were high and prominent. His eyes fell on Bella, and he almost seemed to sneer. Bella didn't particularly want to sit beside this sour looking male, but she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. She moved to the back and took her seat, putting her bag to the side. As she settled, Cullen turned away from her, scooting an inch or so to the side. Bella couldn't help but feel insulted and looked to the table. He didn't say a word to her.

"Oh, and Edward?" Cullen looked up, though it appeared to be against his will. "Since Bella's new here, why don't you show her around? So she won't be late again…" Bella smiled sheepishly at the teacher, but said nothing on the matter. She was not born with an internal compass.

"Can't someone else do it?" Edward asked bluntly. His voice was low and sullen, with a growling, gravely undertone. Bella rounded to him in disbelief. She hadn't even said hello, and yet he acted as though she'd insulted him. All she did was sit beside him. What was the harm in that?"

Tesler frowned at the request. "No," he said shortly. "Now be nice, Mr. Cullen. This is Miss Swan's first day." Edward only huffed and folded his arms in a pout, turning his head to the side. "And take your hood off," the teacher added. Edward shot him a glare before yanking the top part of his jacket off. Bella frowned and took out her book. As the teacher began the lesson once more, Bella jotted down a couple of notes, continually passing glances at the blatant emo who sat beside her. Maybe he was just having an off day? Maybe he just wasn't one for human interaction? Bella couldn't say she didn't relate. Still, it was no excuse for him to be so rude without even knowing her. In the middle of class, when the teacher gave them free work time, Bella had no real option but to speak to him.

"Um… Edward, right?" He refused to look at her. Bella continued. "What… what exactly were you guys doing before I got here? I need to do a little catch up work…" She stopped when he abruptly pushed over his notebook.

"Have fun," he chided, propping his head in his hand and looking away. Bella just about pouted then and pushed his note book back. He spared her a glance over his shoulder.

"Do you have some kind of problem with me?" she asked in a low voice. Edward narrowed his eyes and picked up his chair. Then, in a very pointed fashion, he turned it away from her and sat it so that his back was facing her. Bella felt embarrassment and anger rise within her. Especially when she heard a few snickers from the other students. No doubt they were enjoying the show. Before she could stop herself, Bella picked up her own notebook and hit him in the back of the head. He didn't seem to expect that and jumped slightly, turning to look at her. "Look. I don't know what your problem is, but all I want to do is get through this first day surviving." She sighed and set the notebook down as he continued to look at her, though his mouth was closed now. "We don't have to be friends… I just… I don't want to make enemies on my first day of school. Ok?" There was another little pause before Edward corrected his char and laid his head down, still turned away from her. Bella sighed and looked down at her own work. She guessed she'd have to figure things out on her own.

When the bell finally rang, Bella began to put her things away. By the time she was standing, Edward was gone. She looked left and right, but he seemed eager to get out of the class anyway. No surprise he wouldn't listen to the teacher and show her around. Not that she would even want him to do so if he was simply going to be foul to her. She just hated the feeling of making an enemy. Shaking her head, she pulled on her back pack and headed out of class, pulling out the sheet of paper. Thankfully, she made it to her math class just as the bell rang. The introduction given by the teacher was much more brief and painless, and the student she sat beside wasn't nearly as disagreeable. She was a girl with long, light hair and a few freckles along her cheeks. She was charming enough, with just the right amount of baby fat left in her face. She brightly introduced herself as Jessica.

"So you're from Arizona?" she questioned. Bella nodded. "Must be a big change coming here…"

"I used to visit every year. I'm living with my dad now."

"No kidding? Hey… your dad's Chief Swan, right?"

"Yeah…" She tapped the desk with her pencil. "He's happy I'm here."

"Well that's good. How are you liking the school here so far? Is it different then down there?" Bella's mind went to her new lab partner.

"It's defiantly interesting…" she said honestly. She shook her head. "Sorry, some guy was giving me a hard time last period."

Jessica blinked. "Really? Who?"

"Edward Cullen is his name I think," said Bella with a shrug. Jessica's eyebrows went to her hairline. "What?"

"Why was he giving you a hard time?" It seemed to be genuine curiosity.

"Uh… well he's my new lab partner. I sit next to him." Jessica's face revealed even more surprise, until a smile curled around her lips.

"Oh man…" She patted Bella's shoulder. "My condolences, Bella. You have a very hard road ahead."

"Really? Is he that bad?"

"From what I hear, he's worse then that." She scrunched down, gossip clearly being her favorite topic of discussion. "He started coming to school just a few months ago, actually. He was home schooled up until then by his dad."

"Who's his dad?" Bella asked, moving down a bit to be level with Jessica.

"Dr. Cullen," she continued. "He's a specialist. He only makes house calls. Never comes to the hospital unless it's something very important. They all live in their family house out of town."

"They…?" For some reason, Bella had a sickly feeling in her stomach.

"His family. He's got four brothers and sisters. The word is they're adopted because they're all mostly the same age. They don't come into town that often." She shook her head. "Anyway… Edward. He's got some major problems. I mean _major_ problems. I heard that when he was little, he tortured small animals just to see what they would do." Bella's stomach tied in knots.

"Tortured…? How?"

"Ropes, bags, water… anything he could get a hold of. He got worse as he got older. One time, this kid got on his nerves, and then the next day, he was gone. Just vanished."

"Oh that can't be true," said Bella with a frown. "…Can it?"

"No one really knows," Jessica admitted. "But you can't doubt that he's creepy…"

Bella nodded. "Yeah…"

"But his whole family's like that," she pressed on. "The dad's ok, I hear… I haven't met him but my uncle once had a case of the flu. A really bad case… Dr. Cullen made a special trip and treated him. At a really low cost, too."

"Wow. Sounds generous."

"Yeah…" Jessica trailed off then and shook her head. "Well anyway. Good luck with Edward." Bella smiled bitterly and looked up to the teacher, figuring she'd need a little more then luck to get herself through biology.

When lunch rolled around, Bella hurried to the lunch line, quite famished as the lunch there was a bit later then the lunch in Phoenix. She began to fill her tray, Jessica having tagged along with her, and inched down the line. Just as she turned to go sit down, her eyes once more fell onto the dark figure that was Edward Cullen.

He sat in the corner of the lunch room at a small, broken down table. He had no lunch in front of him, but instead, drank from a sole thermos. He sat alone, no one daring to even go near him. Bella didn't blame them. He constantly wiped his mouth as he drank from the thermos, putting the napkins in his pocket, rather then leaving them on the table. An odd thing… Then again, Jessica did say that he had problems…

"This way, Bella." The girl blinked out of her day dream and headed over to a slightly crowded table. They all turned as the two made their way to it. "Everybody, this is Bella. She's Chief Swan's daughter." Bella gave a meek greeting and sat beside Jessica, starting on her lunch. Eating was a good excuse not to talk. One of the boys, Mike, spoke with a loud voice, his hand on Jessica's lower back. The two seemed to be a bit of an item. It made Bella remember how Chris used to be back home. She took her apple in her hand and idly began to play with the stem. She missed having him by her side. He was such a playful person to be around, and always made her smile. He could be a bit too touchy feely at times, but Bella got used to it. Besides, she'd love it when he would hug her from behind out of nowhere…

"Oy! You awake there?" Bella blinked and looked up to where one of them was addressing her. Tyler, she believed his name was. He had slightly large teeth, with dark skin and tightly curled hair, resting on the edge of his head. He smiled at her. "Jessica was just telling us about your new lab partner."

"Oh…" Bella looked down to her apple again. "Yeah… he seems to hate me for some reason."

"He hates everyone," said one of the girls simply. The name escaped her at the moment.

"But why?" Bella asked the group. "Why's he like that?" No one seemed to have an answer. Jessica looked over to his lone table.

"Hey… is your neck burning?" Bella was a bit confused but turned to see that Edward was staring right at her. Almost as though he was hearing every word she spoke. It gave her a frightening thrill, but she soon calmed it, telling herself it was impossible. He was all the way over there, after all. She turned to the others as he looked away.

"Have any of you tried to at least talk to him?" she asked earnestly.

"And what?" Mike asked, cocking a brow. "Wake up to find our arms ripped off? No thanks."

"Yeah… he scares me too much…"

"Same here…"

Bella paused for a moment and looked back over her shoulder. Edward was no longer looking at her, but instead, focusing on what he was drinking. She bit the inside of her lip. "Maybe… if someone tried to be friendly to him… maybe he wouldn't be so bad?"

"Oh? Well if you think that's the case, why don't you go talk to him?"

She looked at the others, apple still cradled in her palms. They all stared at her expectantly. With a twisting stomach, she looked back to Edward. Once more, he too was looking at her. She curled her toes inside of her shoes and took a couple of breaths. "Ok…" She stood up, Jessica taking her arm.

"Wait… are you really gonna do it?" she asked, eyes widening.

"Well… yeah. I'm sure he can't be as bad as everyone thinks…" Or she hoped, anyway. With a nod, she left the table and carefully made her way over to the boy. He didn't seem to blink as she got closer, his back going ridged. Bella finally stopped, standing behind the empty seat that faced him. They stared at one another, the muscles in his face tightening and relaxing in rhythm. "Um… hi… Can I sit here?"

Edward kept her eyes on hers. He didn't seem to blink. "If I say no are you still gonna?" There was a silence between the two. Finally, the boy caved and held out a hand. "Fine. Knock yourself out." Bella sat down, the two never breaking eye contact. She ran her thumb along the green skin of her fruit, which she still clutched close to her. Edward took a sip of his thermos, and Bella dislodged her gaze long enough to look at the cylinder.

"Um… what's that?" she gestured to it.

"Soup," he said flatly.

"Oh. What kind?"

"Tomato."

"Any good?"

Edward rolled his eyes, rubbing his temple. "Is there a reason you're harassing me or is it all for the enjoyment of your friends?" Bella turned to see that the group she had just been sitting with were all watching intently. Bella turned back to Edward, looking as sincere as possible.

"I'm just trying to be nice… really."

"I don't need your sympathy, thanks."

"It's not sympathy," she said. "It's just being polite." _You know, that thing that you can't seem to be?_ she added in her head. "I just… you looked lonely so I thought I'd keep you company."

"Oh well," said Edward, his voice heavy with cynicism. "_Thank _you _so_ much! I don't know what I would possibly _do_ without someone like you! Why, you make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!" He took another drink from his thermos. "So is that all?"

Bella frowned at him and looked back to his container. "Why only soup? Aren't you hungry?"

Edward gave her a stone like look. "I'm on a diet," he said evenly. Bella looked him over. Despite the frumpy sweat shirt, it was obvious that Edward was quite thin. Perhaps just as much as she was.

"I think you might be over doing it," she commented. Edward gave her a cool look.

"Says the girl with the spaghetti arms." Self consciously, Bella put her hands to her limbs.

"I don't have spaghetti arms…" she began, her voice a bit smaller. Edward's eyes went to her shirt.

"And a flat chest," he added curtly. Her face filled with red at that comment. She stood then, feeling like a fool for ever giving such an ass hole a second chance. With all her might, she flung her apple hard at him. He dodged it, but it still got her point across. The cafeteria went a bit silent after that action, and they watched as Bella stormed out of the room, feeling the urge to break into a run. She strode quickly down the hall and into the bathroom, where she locked herself in a stall.

What a first day. She had never felt so humiliated in all her life. Nor had she ever felt like such an idiot. She pushed her forehead to the door, tempted to just call Chris in the middle of class and seek his comfort. But she knew he'd get in trouble if she did. So instead, she just sat on the toilet, lamenting the choices that lead her up to that particular moment. She didn't cry, though she felt like she wanted to. But one thing was for sure.

She had decided that she hated Edward Cullen with every ounce of her being.

I still kept Edward a jerk, yes, but in a way that isn't pushed under the rug. At least in this version, it's honest about his personality. Review!

~T.


	3. James Island

Ok, to clear a few things up: in the first chapter, yes I got a few names wrong, which was why I went in and changed them. And yes, at the end of the second chapter, I accidentally called "Chris" "Cory", but I changed it. I was tired… =.= Also, I gave her a boyfriend for a reason. It'll be apparent soon.

**Three: James Island**

**T**he rest of the week went on rather uneventfully. Edward was still as intolerable as ever, though now the two seemed to agree to just not speak to one another. Bella was fine with that, as Mike happened to be in her biology class as well. Any question that she had, she went to him. It didn't seem to bother her lab partner one bit. She got to know a few of the others at school, most of them turning out to be pretty nice. Whether it was because they really wanted to be friends or they simply pitied her for being new, Bella wasn't quite sure. She had caused a small buzz among the students because of her father, but after a day or so, the curiosity of Charlie Swan's daughter died down, something Bella was grateful for. That and for Chris' comforting words. She had called him after school on her first day to give him the mandatory report. He nearly seemed appalled at Edward's antics.

"_Look, don't listen to that guy,_" he said firmly. "_And if he gives you any more trouble, I'll come up there and set him straight._"

Bella smiled, playing with the hem of her pant leg. "How exactly do you plan to get here?"

"_Well, since my telleporter is broken, I think I may just have to use the worm hole in my back yard._" As always, that found a laugh in Bella. She laid down along her bed. "_There, see? You're still able to laugh. That means it's not all bad, right?_"

"Right," said Bella, pulling a pillow to her chest with one arm. Her smile became warmer, and she imagined him holding her hand. "Thank you, Chris."

"_You're welcome… I'll talk to you later, kay?_"

Bella agreed and said goodnight, hanging up her phone. After which, she dialed Renee's number. No doubt she would want to know how her first day went as well. After a good talk with her, Bella saw headlights flash by her window. Charlie must have come home. She went down stairs to greet him, and help him carry a few bags into the kitchen. The smell of Chinese food wafted up from the plastic, and Bella felt her stomach growl. Only then did she remember that she didn't eat much that day at lunch…

After setting the table, the two sat down and ate. Bella used chop sticks, Charlie used a plastic fork. It felt odd to her to eat Chinese food with a plastic fork. But the last time Charlie used chop sticks, she remembered, he couldn't pick a single thing up. It was actually quite funny, watching him fumble around with two foreign objects while at the same time trying not to knock anything over. Both Bella and her father shared the same klutzy gene. They ate in silence for a bit, before Charlie brushed off his hands and wiped a little grease from his lips.

"So," he began, "how was your first day?"

Bella shrugged. "Ok I guess." She put a piece of orange chicken into her mouth, sucking a little bit of the sauce off before chewing.

"You guess?" Charlie repeated. "Why?"

She let her chopsticks trail around the plate. "Um… well I don't know. It's just different." She was considering about telling Charlie what had happened that day.

"Well you'll get used to it," her father said, sipping at his beer.

"Yeah…" She paused, before continuing on. "Hey, Dad? You know everyone right…? Like… in Forks?"

"I'd like to think so. Why do you ask?"

"Well… I kinda met someone today." Charlie looked a bit more intrigued. He probably thought she had discovered her new found crush. Bella didn't know if he even knew about Chris. "Do you know about the Cullens?"

Charlie was a bit confused. "Um… well, I know Carlisle. Haven't met the rest of his family."

"Who?"

"Dr. Carlisle Cullen," Charlie continued. "He's a private doctor. Keeps to himself mostly, but is an honest man." He frowned. "Why?"

"Well… one of his sons goes to school with me," Bella began carefully. If Charlie had good relations with this Carlisle person, she didn't want him knowing just how big of a dick his son was. "Edward."

"Really?" he seemed surprised. "Hm… well I think he mentioned something like that a while back. That is, his middle son wanted to go to a public high school rather then be home schooled. He wasn't so sure about it, though. He's not really one for the public education process."

Bella nodded, but said nothing else. She ran her finger along her can of soda. If he wanted to go into a public school, why did he act like he hated it there? It seemed like a strange thing to do…

"Oh, and by the way?" Bella looked back up to her father. "Billy Black's coming by to watch the game this Sunday. He said he'd bring Jacob along."

Bella smiled brightly. "Cool," she said with a little nod. "Has he gotten any taller?" Despite the age difference, Jacob was nearly as tall as her the last time they met. No small feet, considering her height.

"Oh sure," said Charlie. "Probably an inch or so bigger then you." He ate a bit more and then stood to clean off his plate. "His hair's longer, too. And he says he can't wait to catch up."

"Same…" Bella checked the time as she too cleared her dishes. "Well I better get some sleep. Night Dad." Placing a kiss on Charlie's cheek, she turned and headed to her room, now eager for the weekend to arrive.

When it finally did, it seemed that even the weather was celebrating Jacob's visit. The sun was bright and warm, only a few, puffy clouds splotched along the sky. She had gotten up early that morning just to sit and watch the clouds from her room. It reminded her of her beloved desert. Blue sky that went on for miles. Russet colored earth that spread out on a large canvas. Green cacti that sported bright colored flowers. And the sunsets… Oh those sunsets were amazing. It was as though the sky was slowly being dyed pink and red, fading out like the last bow at an elegant play. The sunsets in Forks were graceful as well, but in a much cooler, subtle way then the ones in Phoenix.

She was brought out of her day dream as an ebony truck pulled up to the house, somewhat newer then her own. Still, it looked pretty used. Through the passenger's window, she spotted a familiar face. With a bright smile, she came downstairs just as Charlie headed outside. She did so as well and watched as Charlie helped the driver out and into the wheelchair which had been stowed in the truck bed. Billy Black smiled at his friend and patted his arm in a brotherly way. He was a slightly aging man, with sharp, shaded eyes and tawny skin. He had a few wrinkles around his face and kept most of his hair in a pony tail, hidden beneath a cowboy hat. His son, Jacob, soon got out of the truck cab as well. He spotted Bella almost immediately, and while the two men joked with one another, the two teens scurried inside, Bella smiling brightly.

"It's been too long!" she said, throwing him into a hug. Pulling back, she realized that her father was right. At age fifteen, Jacob Black was an inch or so taller then her. He had an even, copper feel to his skin tone, and steel eyes that were pleasantly warm. His sleek, sable hair went to his shoulders, which he let loose, unlike Billy. In fact, he seemed to be the older one of the two of them. Strange how things worked out.

Jacob nodded in agreement. "Way too long," he said, arms crossed. "You've gotta tell me what you've been up to."

"Same with you." She looked over as Charlie and Billy moved themselves to the couch. "Come on. Let's head up to my room." Again, Jacob agreed and the two moved up the stairs and into Bella's bedroom. It wasn't anything new to Charlie or Billy that the two would often be alone together. When they were younger, they constantly rushed off with each other, hiding away in secret places. Even as they got older, they still continued to run off together. Charlie often joked about the two eloping one day. Bella sat on her bed as Jacob closed the door, perching himself on the window ledge. It had been such a nice day, Bella didn't want the window to be closed.

"So I hear you're getting your license?" she questioned.

"Yeah, said Jacob, leaning up against the top half of the window – the part that didn't close. "I'm almost there. Just need to do one more driver's test then I'll get my permit." He grinned. "Promise you'll let me drive you when I do?"

"Promise you won't kill me?" Bella joked.

"Maybe." He hopped down and playfully riffled through Bella's back pack. An annoying little habit of his. Bella got off her bed and took it from the chair. Jacob kept his smile and picked up one of her books instead, flipping through a few pages. "So, how long do you plan to live here?"

"Probably till I finish high school," she answered with a shrug.

"Yeah… oh." He paused and lifted up a picture. "Oh ho ho… Belllaaaaa…" He dangled a little photo in front of her. It was a picture of her and Chris. "Who's the boy candy?" With a pout, Bella yanked the photo away.

"My boyfriend," she said pointedly. She smiled then and put the photo aside.

"Really? Well that's defiantly something new." He gave her an odd look. "So… you two are trying out a long distance thing?"

"I guess so…" She let her fingers tap the back of her desk chair. Shaking her head, she looked back up to him. "What about you? Any girls in the world of Jacob Black?" He laughed at that and looked out the window.

"Well, I tried once, but she was a little too… obsessive for me."

"How do you mean?"

Jacob turned to her. "If I missed her call, she'd accuse me of cheating. She also answered my texts."

"Ouch…" She shook her head. "Sorry to hear that."

"Yeah… women are nuts." He paused. "No offence."

"None taken." She took her place back on her bed as Jacob sat backwards in her chair. Thus began a back and forth conversation between the two. What they were into now, if their tastes had changed… Once everything had been covered, it had really only been forty minutes. Considering that Charlie liked to watch the pre-game show, they probably had a good deal of time to waist still. Bella looked out the window.

"It's such a nice day," she commented. "Why don't we go do something?"

"Like what?"

"How bout the beach?" she suggested. It was a common favorite of hers whenever she came up for visits. An idea seemed to dawn on him.

"Wait… I know what we can do." He stood. "I was meaning to show you last time you came up, but we didn't really have the time…"

"Show me what?" He didn't answer, but instead, motioned for her to follow and grab her car keys as well. They headed downstairs where Billy and Charlie were watching the game, a bowl of nachos between them.

"Dad?" Billy looked up. "Bella and I are gonna head out for a bit. Maybe go to the beach."

"Fine by me." He looked to his companion, but Charlie gave no objection. "Just don't be back too late."

"Right, right…" With a wave, Jacob lead Bella out of the house and over to her own truck. Bella got in and buckled her seat belt.

"So… we are going to the beach then?" she clarified as Jacob got himself situated.

"Sort of," Jacob said with a sly smile. "Just head over to First Beach." She tried to see just what he was hiding by the look on his face, but found it to be quite illegible. So instead, she followed his direction, driving through Forks to the shoreline. Once parked, she and Jacob got out of the car. Despite the sun, it was still quite nippy on the beach, so she pulled out her white jacket that she had stowed away in her truck for emergencies. Jacob seemed to be excited as he walked along the shore. Quite quickly, too. Bella had to stride to keep up.

"Where are we going?" she asked, hands in her pockets to keep them warm. He smirked at her and gestured out to the water. Perched on the horizon, as always, was James Island, or "Aka-lat" to Jacob's family. It was a noble, silent island that slightly resembled a shoe and was decorated with several trees that lined the top rocks. She had never been there, but she remembered a few of Billy's stories about it. "Isn't that where the Quileute elders used to be buried?"

"Yup," he said, without elaborating. He continued walking along the beach, Bella hurrying to catch up with him. They walked until they came upon a small, boat rental shack that sat behind a wooden dock. They had just enough cash to rent a row boat and hopped in, paddling out from the shore.

"What do you want to show me?" she asked in between rows. "Is there something special there?" He didn't answer, but instead, hummed merrily to himself, taunting her almost. James Island was much farther away then it seemed, and soon, Bella's arms began to tire. But she kept at it until the boat pushed up against the shoreline of the island. Up close, it was much more massive then expected. The rock was a similar color to the desert sands of Bella's beloved Arizona, and ancient trails twisted this way and that, leading to different parts of the island. Currently, they stood on the flat, beach like surface that split the island into two large parts. It watched them like a resting beast, waiting for them to make their move. Jacob took Bella's hand, leading her to the larger of the two portions of island.

"This place also used to be a fortress," Jacob explained, moving the two down a trail. "Dad showed me last year, and I wanted to show you, but you never came for a visit." Bella felt a bit guilty for that, but things had been busy up until then. "Anyway, my ancestors hid out here from neighboring tribes and Europeans. They also came here when they went wale hunting." He walked her up a ways until coming upon two large rocks, in between them a small hole, big enough for someone to squeeze through if bent down. Jacob slipped inside, as did Bella. She looked around, the darkness of the cave daunting. The only real light was coming through the small hole that the two had entered from. Thankfully, Jacob had a small flashlight which was surprisingly strong. Bella kept close to Jacob, afraid that she would loose him in the cavern, as the two descended into the darkness.

The tunnel they walked down was a dark, dank place, the smell of mildew prevalent within the tunnel. Every once and a while, Bella could hear the sound of a squeaking mouse or scurrying rat. Bella kept as far away from the walls as she could. Finally, the claustrophobic feeling left her as they exited the tunnel. By then, her eyes had slightly adjusted to the light, but not enough to where she could see perfectly. That's when she felt Jacob leave her side. She watched as his dark silhouette moved over to the side. There was a moment's pause, when suddenly, the room filled with light. Bella blinked, shielding her eyes for a moment before she realized what Jacob had done.

There was a system of mirrors all around the cave, and Jacob had placed his flashlight in front of one of them, causing the light to be reflected by the other mirrors, giving the entire cave a gentle, natural light. Bella moved around, the first thing she noticed being how incredibly large the inside of the cave was. It stretched high above the two, and had the diameter to incorporate a small house with a front and back yard. Bella moved into the middle, noticing faded paintings on the dusty walls. She walked over to one of them, hand laying on the rough surface.

"These weren't always here." Bella turned to Jacob. "The mirrors, I mean. My grandpa put these in to make it easier to see in here." Bella nodded and looked back up to the paintings. Her eyes lingered on one in particular. It was a portrait of a man. He stood much like the Egyptian figures in hieroglyphics – flat and cartoon like. There was something interesting about this man. He didn't stand like a regular man did. He hunched over slightly, his hands splayed like claws. Behind him curled up what seemed to be a tail of a wolf, of which he also sported similar ears and a nose. Bella tilted her head to the side. Jacob, noticing her curiosity, walked up beside her.

"Legend has it," he began, "the first Quileute to ever exist was a wolf who became a man." Bella smiled. She had heard this story countless times before. However, it never hurt her to hear it again.

"Like a werewolf," she joked, nudging him. He laughed and looked back to the picture.

"More like a shape shifter." He put his hands behind his head. Bella thought for a moment, going back to the stories told to her by Billy.

"Hey Jacob?" He looked to her. "In quileute legend… everyone has their own god that's unique to them, right?" Jacob smiled, revealing his slightly sharpened canines.

"Yup. Dad's an eagle, I'm a wolf. I think Rachael's a stork, but I'm not sure… I'll have to double check."

Bella nodded. "Well… just out of curiosity… what am I?" Jacob looked at her, a bit surprised at the question. She smiled. "Or rather, what would I be?"

"You? Hm…" He thought, tapping his chin and surveying her. "I think… you'd be a cat." Bella snorted.

"A cat?" It somewhat surprised her. She wasn't exactly graceful the way felines were. Jacob shrugged.

"You just seem like yours would be a cat, that's all."

Bella laughed. "Whatever…" She turned to look at some others, when she noticed another painting. It was a drawing of white, sinister creatures with large teeth, standing nude in a large red blotch. She walked over to it, her eyes roaming each detail. "What's this…?"

"Oh, that…" Jacob walked up beside her. He put his hands in his pockets. "The white demons." Bella looked to him.

"White demons?" she repeated. Her eyes turned back up to the picture. "Billy's never told a story about them before…"

"He wouldn't," said Jacob with a furrow of his brow. "It's not one he really likes to tell…" There was a silence as they stared at the panting.

"So… what are they?" Bella asked.

"Well… the Quileutes didn't get along very well with European settlers. A lot of us think that this is just a depiction of them." Bella nodded. That made sense, anyway. She was about to speak when Jacob continued. "But… that's not how Dad sees them…" She turned back to Jacob.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Jacob glanced at her and continued to focus on the picture.

"He says… that the white demons were much more then just white settlers. They were monsters… Beasts that fed off of human life. They needed other lives in order to live. They were parasites who feasted off of my ancestors. And though they looked like humans… they were far from them." Bella stared at him, her lips parted and her breathing faint. He turned and caught her gaze, giving a cheery smile. "If you believe that kind of stuff, anyway."

Bella shook her head. "O-oh… Yeah, right…" She chuckled nervously, trying to ignore the squirming sensation in the pit of her gut. "We should probably get out of here. I don't want Dad to get angry because we were out too late."

Jacob nodded. "They'll probably be done by the time we get there." Taking his flashlight, and once more, her hand, they headed out of James Island. Bella glanced behind her shoulder to get one last look at the white demon.

Hm. My chapters seem to be getting longer. Anywhos, leave a review!

~T.


	4. The White Demon

Ok, well I appreciate all the favorites and subscriptions, but I'd also like it if you guys all left a few more reviews. Just to see how I'm doing so far. But with at least ten people favoriting this, I guess I'm doing ok, wouldn't you think? So anywho, instead of spending two hundred pages of unneeded suspense, I'm just going to get the whole "vampire" thing out of the way.

**Four: The White Demon**

**S**lowly but surely, the days passed on into weeks, which passed on into months. Soon, Bella had survived the first two months of her new school. For the most part, it passed gradually, without much event or excitement. Soon, Bella had formed a routine. Wake up just as Charlie left for his duties, wish him a good day, and head off to school, which would pass without effort, and then come home again, do her homework and eat dinner. Edward seemed to still be content with not speaking to her, as did she. The initial awkwardness of the silence slowly faded as her routine became solid. Not only that, but Edward would have days where he wouldn't even show up to school. Again, this became less and less strange as the days went on. During the school hours, she came to know the group a bit better, though she never quite felt as one of them. Even so, she enjoyed listening to their back and forth conversations and bickering. Every once and a while, she would be invited to join them on the weekends. They did everything from shopping at Port Angeles to having bon fires at the beach. Once or twice, Mike or Tyler brought along a small bag of marijuana, and though she never joined in, she didn't try to appose their use of it. She just hoped Charlie never found out. He never did, much to her relief. When she wasn't out with the group, she and Jacob spent their weekends together, the boy finally gaining his permit. Bella still felt a bit uneasy at the prospect of him driving her, however. Even so, he had yet to get in an accident. She and Chris spoke every night, as they had agreed to do before she left. She called him, or he her. Either way, they spoke to one another as much as they could at night. Though towards the later part of the two months, Chris seemed to have less and less time for it. Though he still made an effort for her. Something she was overjoyed with. Bella also made time to call her mother, but she didn't want to bother her too much, as she heard the happiness in her voice each time she called.

Tuesday was predicted to be the last day before the winter snow fall. Bella had never visited Forks in the winter time – whenever she and Charlie had their Christmases together, he would always come down to Phoenix. Bella was interested as to just what the snow would be like. Though at the same time, she was a bit worried that her clothes wouldn't be warm enough. Snow clothes weren't exactly the best seller for Arizona. That afternoon, Charlie had come home early, though still kept his radio on at home, just in case. That evening foreshadowed an easy end of the day, if not somewhat boring. Bella felt the need to stretch her legs. It was still daylight out when she announced she'd be going for a walk. Charlie looked up from the television.

"Alright," he said, "but don't stay out too late."

"Sure." After placing a kiss to the top of his head, Bella pulled on a jacket and stepped outside, heading into the woods. The smell of pine and the sound of the evening bird filled her senses. As she went up the green filled trail, she let the wind play with the ends of her pony tail, giving her icy kisses on her face and neck. She walked slowly, letting the atmosphere of the forest engulf her. It reminded her of one of her favorite books, _Snow Falling on Cedars_ – coincidently, it also took place in Washington. Or at least near it. Thinking about the novel, she had a craving for strawberries. She smiled to herself and leaned against the green tinted tree, moss tickling the back of her neck. The entire forest seemed to watch her much like when she and Jacob visited James Island. Though the forest had a much less menacing feeling to it. When she was young, visiting her father during the summer, the forest would be her favorite place to be. She loved crawling through hallow logs and playing near the rocky shore of the creeks that ran through the woods. She had always been allured by large, quiet areas of land. One of the reason she adored the deserts in Arizona. It was large enough to be its own creature, alive with so much beauty and life. The forest had that same entity, just in a different manor. She slipped down to sit at the base of the large tree, her hand resting on the soft moss that iced it over. Her head rested back against the firm bark, sighing through her nose. She began to let her mind wander. Where it went, she didn't mind. It traveled from one place to the other, thinking about memories, about school, about Chris and Jacob and her new friends... about Charlie and Renee... about Phoenix... about Forks... about Edward...

Before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep.

When she woke up, it was dusk, the sun nearly set behind the large mountain. She looked down at her phone to see two things: One, that it was nearing eight o'clock, and two, that Charlie had called a couple of times. She called him back, getting to her feet. He answered, seeming slightly relieved that she called.

"Sorry," she explained. "I fell asleep... I'm heading home now."

"_Good_," he said on the other line. "_It's meatloaf for dinner. So hurry before it gets cold._"

"Right. I'll see you in a bit, Dad." After hanging up, she rubbed her eyes and started to walk the way she came. Unfortunately, despite how well she actually knew the forest, the set sun caused the vibrant woods to grow dark, much like the first night she was there. She tried to get her eyes used to the night, keeping her hands in front of her slightly, lest she run into a tree. However, the more she walked, the more used to the dark her eyes became. It was a shame that her improved vision still didn't make up for the fact that she couldn't quite remember where she was. She nibbled on her lip. Did she take a left turn at the fallen tree... or a right? She tried going left, when she realized that she didn't pass a large boulder on her way there, and so she turned around and headed the other way – only to realize that all it did was take her to a stream. Perhaps she didn't turn at all? She went back to the log and huffed, trying to remember where to go. That's when she heard a faint rustling beside her.

Turning, her eyes fell upon a figure that moved into the moonlight. She staid where she was, smiling. A delicate doe had just made its way into a small clearing, just twenty feet from her. She considered taking a picture with her phone, but realized that with the dark, it would be impossible to see. So instead, she just stood there, watching fondly as the animal fed off of a small fern, its large ears flickering now and again. Suddenly, it lifted its head up and looked to her, ears pointed in her direction. She staid where she was, not wanting to scare it away. It was such a beautiful thing, looking almost ghost like in the thick haze of the moon. Slowly, she held out a hand, even though the thing was a good ways away from her. It just stood there, staring at her with its huge, brown orbs of eyes. She put her hand back down when the doe finally tore its gaze from her. It turned and started heading out of the clearing. Bella figured this would be a good time to do the same.

That is, until she saw something so disturbing, she could not look away.

Just as she was about to turn and head home, something collided with the creature, dragging it to the ground. Bella watched in horror as the thing made terrible slurping noises, a beast like growling emanating from it. At first, Bella had no clue what it was. In the moonlight, its skin illuminated almost a pure white, reflecting the silver mist above. As she watched whatever it was, shots of red flew from where the doe's neck would be, raining down beside the two figures. Bella felt nauseous as the stench of blood came to her senses. Finally, the horrid sounds ended, as well as the projectile blood. That's when the attacker stood up straight, its back to Bella's eyes.

Bella realized that this killer was in fact a person. A boy, to be specific. He had brown, almost auburn hair that was messy atop his head. His body was lean and slender, some of his bones obvious through his skin. He was also naked. Bella didn't know what to do or think. But after a moment or two, she slowly began to back away. And as her luck would have it, the moment she moved backwards, a twig snapped beneath her heal. Her breath caught in her throat, and she covered her mouth with both hands. However, there was no use trying to save herself. That one, faint snap had caused the boy to perk up, turning his head slightly in her direction. She trembled in fear, as slowly, the boy turned his head. There, glaring at her, stood Edward Cullen.

Shimmering crimson stained his lips, dribbling down his front. His eyes, which at first had been dark and faded away, were now a bright, almost neon gold color, burning into her own chocolate irises. His lips were parted, revealing white fangs, now stained with pink. She could hear his breath. It growled, much like his voice usually did, rattling as his chest moved up and down. His face warped into a leer, his features contorting horribly. He hissed, his teeth even more noticeable now. Without a second thought, Bella turn and started running.

She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't care. She ran as fast as she could, her legs burning and her heart pounding in her ears. She needed to get away. She had to get away. Back home, where she would be safe. Back to her father, who would protect her. Back home, where she could lock her door and window. Over her eyes, the vision of the deer being pounced upon ran over and over her eyes, like a looped piece of film. Would she be his next victim? She ran even harder, trying to get her voice to call out for help. But it didn't want to work at the moment. Suddenly, she came to a halt.

In a flash too quick for her to comprehend, Edward moved in front of her, his eyes burning brightly. Blood still caked his face, strings and splatter marks on his otherwise pure white chest. Bella backed up hurriedly, her back hitting a tree. She whimpered, clutching her arms close to her. She couldn't look away. Edward inched forward, his eyes absolutely livid. Bella trembled horribly, thoughts of her death flying through her mind. She would be killed. She knew she would be killed. She saw him. He'd have no choice but to kill her. How she was able to stay standing was a complete mystery. She saw his hand raise. Shutting her eyes tightly, she expected to feel that hand on her throat or arm. But instead, it slammed right beside her head. Bella could feel splinters brushing past her cheek. Slowly, her eyes opened. Edward's fuming face was mere inches away from her.

"If you tell anyone about this..." he said, his voice barely a whisper, "...you will die in a very, _very _tragic accident. Do I make myself clear?"

Bella stared at him, her mouth opening and closing like a fish's. Her voice currently was not working. So instead, her head bobbed up and down slowly, almost as though someone was pulling it by a string. Edward gave one last sneer before pulling away. Turning, he raced out of the forest, gone by the time one milla-second had passed. Bella's legs finally gave out below her, and she fell to her knees, shaking uncontrollably. Her hands grabbed her own arms tightly, her uneasy breath steam in the cold air. As she stared off into the distance, the first, feather like flakes of snow began to fall.

Yes, relatively short chapter. But this is a pretty good place to stop. Remember to leave those reviews!

~T.


	5. The Agreement

Hey everyone. I hate to sound like a broken record, but I'd really like a few more reviews. I do appreciate all the favorites and alerts, but really... I like feedback the best. And yes... there's a reason he was naked.

**Five: The Agreement**

How Bella was able to get home after that remained a mystery to her. By the time she did get home, the snow had fallen to the point of sprinkling in her hair and upon her shoulders like powdered sugar. There were small portions of it along the ground, and her breath made tiny clouds as it left her lips. She opened the door to she that Charlie was just in the middle of dialing a number. No doubt it was her own. He smiled. "There you are," he said lightly, hanging it up. "I was afraid you got lost." Bella just traveled past him in a trance, her heart still refusing to calm. He blinked and put a hand on her shoulder. Still in a jittery state, she jumped at the contact, turning wide eyes to him. He gave her a worried look. "Are... are you ok?"

"What?" she said, her voice higher then normal. "O-oh... y-yes. Yes, fine, good, fine..." She nodded, rubbing her cold hands together. "Y-yeah... good..."

"Um..." Charlie scratched his head. "Well dinner's ready if you're hungry..."

"Hungry?" Bella squeaked, what little color she had in her face draining. She put her hands on either side of her forehead, her legs like jelly.

"Bells, what is wrong?" He took a hold of her shoulders. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Bella laughed weakly, fear still lacing through her tone. "Yeah... um... yeah..." She shut her eyes, trying to recall her voice to its regular tenor. "Um... I'm... tired. I'm going to bed..." Turning, she walked up the stairs and laid down along her bed, pulling her pillow close to her. Her eyes went to the window. In a quick motion, she got up and shut it, locking it tightly. She let herself breathe, fogging up her cold window. Her mind filled with questions. Did she just see what she thought she saw? It felt real... Her skin had pimpled from the cold and the fear. She ran a hand along her neck and pulled it back, looking at the sweat which glossed along the tips of her fingers. This was definitely real. But how could it be? She gripped her head, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. How in the world could it be real? There was no such thing... as vampires... right? Just thinking the word made Bella shiver. She didn't want to consider the possibility, but what else could he have been? Not a normal, human boy, that was for sure. She sat on the edge of her mattress, gripping herself weakly. This couldn't be happening. She tried to shut her eyes, but all she saw was Edward's demonic face, his lips iced with red.

Demons...

A thought came to her. She went to her laptop and sat down, flipping it open. It took a while for her to get a wifi connection, but she soon was on the internet. She typed in "white demon quileute" and hit search. After a moment or two, it loaded, a few sites came up, only a few looking legitimate. She clicked on one and waited for it to load. Once it did, she saw a photo of a painting that looked similar to the painting that she saw at James Island. Demented and terrifying, fangs pointed and ready to bite. Beneath it was a small caption that told of where it was found. Beneath that, an article sat. She began to read.

"_The White Demons" of the Quileute Tribe_

_The natives of North America have always been known for their__  
spiritual beliefs and unique take on nature and life. However,  
__a certain myth of the Quileute Tribe of Washington seems to be __not so original.  
The "white demon", a monster which plagues the  
__ healthy and innocent, has often been compared to vampire lore of__  
Europe and even Asia. Though there are some who simply compare  
__ the white demon to the European settlers, the behavior of the legendary __beasts  
are much more similar to Dracula and Lilith, rather then Columbus __and  
Amerigo Vespucci. Only coming out at night, the white demon feeds  
__gradually, causing once healthy men and women to become weak and__  
lethargic, even ill. Many times, the white demon is depicted as a nude,  
__ogre like creature, with large teeth, usually surrounded by red, thought  
__to symbolize blood. The first appearance of these white demons is  
__unknown, however many accounts of their nature are estimated to be__  
around the seventeen hundreds and onward. Today, the white demon  
__is thought to be nothing but pure myth, except for those who still  
believe whole heartedly in the old, Quileute myths._

Bella put her fingertips to her mouth. So she was right... After all, what else could she explain what she saw? She fell back in her chair, staring at the screen as it hummed at her pure astonishment. After sitting there for God only knew how long... she finally decided to stand. Her legs creaked in agony, and she noticed that her foot had fallen asleep. With a huff, she sat on her bed and took her shoes off, rubbing her tingling foot. She looked out the window to watch as the snowflakes drifted past her window. Things were going to be much different now. But she would keep her word and not tell anyone else about that night in the forest. If anything, it was to save her own life.

Upon waking up that morning, she found her actions to be quite sluggish. Her mind, on the other hand, was whizzing at a hundred miles an hour, trying to think of different excuses to get herself out of going to school that day. Perhaps she could feign illness? Charlie had already left... She could call him at the station and put on a raspy voice. However... knowing her father, he would probably rush home to take care of her. And once he realized that she wasn't actually sick, he would be a little more then cross with her. Maybe she could just skip first period? Blame her tardiness on the snow? But Charlie mentioned that he'd be putting snow chains on her tires for the winter. So that excuse was also invalid. After coming up with idea after idea, she finally came to the dreaded conclusion that she would have no choice but to return to her high school, well aware that her lab partner could eat her at any given moment.

After getting rid of several mental pictures she simply didn't want, Bella dressed warmly and went out to the driveway, the snow crunching below her boots. She paused at the truck to merely observe it. It was soft, the light of the sun peeping through the overcast clouds. Her breath warmed the inside of her lips, her entire face going cold instantly. She knelt beside the frost and pushed down. The ice attached itself to her glove, squishing loudly with the push of her hand. Snow was strange to her. She scooped a bit up and held it in her palm. It wasn't quite as fluffy as it appeared on television. It was more crystalized, little splotches of miniscule color being reflected by the light. After looking at it a bit more, she tossed it to the ground, brushing off her gloves. She let the truck warm up a bit before pulling out and heading to school. As she drove away from her home, she kept her eyes on the sheet of pure white. She imagined just how deep a blotch of bright red could stain such an innocent color. Shaking her head, she continued onward, a subtle panic rising within her chest. She kept it subdued, though barely, as she threw on her backpack and tried hard not to slip as she walked.

Bella met up with Anglia, one of the girls she met on her first day. It had taken her a while to learn her name, but she was able to after a while. Anglia was a bit on the quiet side. It was a trait Bella was grateful for on such a tense day. Had she met with her math neighbor, no doubt the questions would never end. Thankfully, Jessica was too busy that morning with her tongue down Mike's throat to notice Bella's arrival. Things seemed to be normal, and her anxiety settled. At least, until the first bell rang, sending her nervousness whizzing into the full blown terror she felt the night before. She calmed herself with a breath and she and Mike walked to class together. Bella felt a bit safer if she was with someone, rather then walk alone. She allowed Mike to ramble on about something, but she couldn't exactly pay attention. Finally, she stepped into Biology. Her eyes immediately went to her table. Sitting there, draped in black as usual, was Edward Cullen. Waiting for her.

For a moment, she couldn't walk. Her entire body trembled under the icy glare of the creature mere feet away. She moved only when she was forced by Mr. Tesler's voice, telling everyone to sit down. She made her way to her seat and focused on shuffling papers around in her backpack. Edward was silent. It was something that Bella had come to be used to, but this silence was different. He was waiting. Waiting for her to do something. To say something or make some kind of move. However, she couldn't think to do anything but sit there and pray that he didn't attack her after class. She hunched her shoulders up, guarding her neck as she stared at the table, blankly. She had to ball her hands into fists just to keep them from shaking. She just had to get through one period. Just one period... just one...

"Hey."

Without warning, Bella jumped two feet in the air, actually falling to the floor. In the process, she brought along with her all of her work that she had laid on the table, knocking over the chair as well. Her head hit the ground with a large "thud!" and for a brief moment, she saw stars. When her hearing was turned back on, she could detect the clamoring of a few students to make sure she was ok. She nodded and got to her wobbly legs. Her eyes – with a will of their own – fell to Edward. He had a look on his face that almost pointed her out to be the non-human, rather then himself. She apologized for interrupting class and sat down, putting her forehead to the table in embarrassment. Damn her nerves...

She felt something poke her shoulder. Instead of jumping, she just looked up, her hair blocking some of her vision. In her frenzy that morning, she had forgot to put it in a pony tail. Besides, letting it down kept her neck warm. Edward folded his arms and let them rest on the table, frowning at her. "Good God you're jumpy..." She still clutched her hands together tightly, her eyes drawn downward.

"Can you blame me...?" she said in a small voice. There was a tense silence in between them. For a small, fleeting moment, Bella felt as though she was in a position of power. As though she had something on him. When she turned to look him in the eye, however, she realized it was a false feeling; he gave her a blazing look that would freeze over Hell. She quickly averted her gaze, going back to her submission.

"No," he said finally, his voice much lower. Again, another silence followed. "Did you tell your father?" Bella quickly shook her head. "Any of your friends?" Once more, she replied no. "Good." Bella spared a few glances to him before plucking up the courage to speak once more.

"S-so... you're a..." Her voice fell considerably. "...a vampire... aren't you?"

"You could say that," he answered vaguely.

Bella turned to look at him, heart pounding. "Are you or aren't you?" He locked their eyes for a moment. Bella noticed that they were a strange, murky golden color. She had never detected this before, as his eyes always seemed to be hidden beneath his hood.

"Yes," he said finally, turning away. Bella did the same, and once more, a silence followed. "If my father finds out that you know..."

Bella perked. "Father...?" She turned back to him, but he remained still. "Y-you mean... Dr. Cullen... right?" Still, he didn't move. Bella's mind began to run wild. If Edward could take out a full grown, healthy deer with out even causing it alarm, what exactly could his _father_ do? She shuttered at the thought. "He doesn't have to know," she said quickly. She didn't want a full grown vampire angry with her. A teenaged one was bad enough.

"It was bad enough keeping last night from him," answered Edward with a sniff. "Are you suggesting that I lie?"

"No..." Bella fidgeted. "Just... omit the truth. That's different, right?"

"It's the same thing as lying," Edward clarified.

"Then I'm lying too..." She fiddled with her jacket. "If... If I can lie to my father, you can lie to yours. Deal?" Edward cocked an eyebrow, his jaw tightening.

"What? Are you making demands now?" he spat lowly. Though Bella was absolutely terrified by his angry expression, she took a breath and nodded.

"Yes... You don't want me to tell anyone, right? So... so don't tell Dr. Cullen that I know..." Her tone became pleading. "Please... Let's... just keep this our little secret. Ok?" Again, a pause followed. This time, they kept eye contact. Finally, Edward huffed and leaned against the chair.

"Fine. Deal." He closed his eyes and mouth, arms still crossed along his chest. Bella shifted. She was still deathly afraid of him, but some how, it had loosened a bit since that morning.

"I do have one question..." He opened one eye to her. She hesitated, but continued onward. "Why were you... naked?" He turned to her, looking as though she had asked a very obvious question.

"My clothes get stained otherwise," he said flatly. Bella blinked.

"Oh." It made sense.

"Now is that all?" he inquired. Bella nodded, and the two went back to their silence. How strange... It was their first real conversation, and it hadn't gone in any way Bella had predicted. The brunette sighed and propped her chin on the table.

This was going to be a very long school year.

I meant to upload this yesterday, but I got lazy. Leave those reviews! The more I get, the faster I continue!

~T.


	6. A Friendly Enemy

Sweetness! Thank you all for your reviews! Keep them up!

**Six: A Friendly Enemy**

"**S**o how can you come to school in the daytime?"

"I wear as much clothing as I can and put sunscreen on every morning. And only on clouded days."

"And your 'tomato soup' you have for lunch every day?"

"Carlisle sneaks a transfusion pack every now and again for us, but we try to live off animals."

"How many of you are there?"

"Seven, including my parents."

"Do you sleep in coffins? How do you keep your fangs hidden? Can you turn into a bat? Do you vomit at the smell of garlic?"

Edward let his head hit the table as Bella drilled him with question after question. It had been a full week since their initial agreement, and after a full weekend of debate, Bella finally let her curiosity over take her. It was, needless to say, quite an oddity to come to terms with the fact that your biology partner is in fact an inhuman creature. Of course, the blatant fear of the aspect of him killing her in her sleep was still in existence, but she figured that if he was going to kill her, he probably would have done so the night she found him out. So, that Monday at lunch, she sat at Edward's table, pelting him with a relentless interview. Edward pulled his head up, pursing his lips together and rubbing his temple. It was quite obvious that he was stopping himself from strangling her.

"Remind me again why I'm answering all of these stupid questions?" he asked, eyes still shut.

Bella recalled herself. Annoying a blood sucking demon wasn't the smartest way to start off the week. "Um…" Her voice fell a bit. "I just… I'm curious is all… I'm sorry…" She looked down at her food, her hands on her apple that came with the meal. She usually never ate it, but figured it might be a good way of shutting herself up for his sake. So, she brought the fruit to her mouth and took a bite, her eyes on the tray before her.

"Do you _have _to chew that loud?" he snapped, eyes open again. Bella paused, a piece of apple in the side of her cheek. She gave it a few seconds before slowly masticating the rest of the piece. She then set it down and cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry I'm asking so many questions," she repeated. "I just… well I've never met a vampire before."

"Well now you have. Whoopty do."

Bella frowned. "You don't have to be so cynical."

"Why not?" said Edward, propping his chin in his hand. "I have the right to be cynical if I want to." Bella pouted, folding her arms across her chest. However, the action didn't seem to affect Edward. He just stared at her, vaguely. "So is that all?"

Bella shook her head. "I have a few more questions to – hey!" She watched as he stood up, putting his thermos of blood into his back pack. Without a hint of apology, he turned and strode off. Bella hopped up to chase him, when someone took hold of her arm. Jessica had caused her to round about on her heal.

"Ok, spill," she said automatically. Bella blinked in confusion, though it only seemed to make Jessica irritated, and she flipped her sandy hair over her shoulder. "Why are you hanging out with Edward Creep-o?"

That made Bella's mouth turn slightly. "He's not that bad..." He did leave her alive that night, after all. Something she guessed not many vampires would do without a very good reason. That told her that he had at least some ounce of humanity beneath that scowl.

"Doesn't answer my question," Jessica pointed out. "What are you doing with him?"

After about two months of knowing her, Bella quickly found out that Jessica was apt to spread gossip. Any gossip would do. The last thing Bella wanted was for the spotlight to be shined on she and Edward. Not only did she hate to be the center of attention, but she knew Edward just might actually kill her if anyone else found out, or got too close. So, she made up a little white lie to cover herself. "He's my lab partner, remember?" she reminded her friend. "I'm having a little trouble with an upcoming project." Not completely false. There was indeed a formal lab report due in a week or so on molecular density. It wasn't exactly Bella's strong suit. Jessica looked as though she didn't quite believe her, but she pushed it aside.

"Well, anyway," she started up again. "What are you doing Saturday?"

Bella thought for a bit. "Nothing, I don't think... Why?"

"A bunch of us were planning a snow ball war at Mike's place," Jessica explained. "You game?"

"I've never been in a snow ball fight," Bella admitted.

"That's ok. We'll teach you, Arizona girl." Bella smiled slightly at the nickname the others had christened her with. It was only a moment or two before the bell rang. After saying their goodbyes, they split off, Bella heading off to PE. They had been focusing on basketball because of the snow. Bella was never exactly the athletic type, but she managed to stay on her feet, even though she almost never caught the ball. She was heading down the hall, when she spotted the black draped figure that was Edward Cullen. She moved forward to speak to him. She did still have questions about him. However, she stopped as the scene in front of her progressed.

Edward had turned from his locker, when he accidentally bumped into one of the football jocks, causing the boy's folder to fall from his hands. He and his friends apparently didn't like Edward to begin with, so he gave the vampire a shove against the lockers to reveal his annoyance. Bella could hear him order Edward to watch where he was going, calling him a freak in the process. And Edward – who probably had the ability to kill them with a flash of his fangs – just stood there, blankly. He didn't even flinch when he was pushed, his forehead hidden by his hood. Bella felt her heart clench.

_He really is alone, isn't he?_ came the thought. He sat alone every lunch period. He never spoke to anyone as far as Bella noticed. The rumors about him were numerous. People moved out of the way as he walked down the hall. There wasn't a single person who had smiled at him in the two months that Bella had been there. It made her feel a sense of loneliness as well, as though she was the one outcasted by the school, and not he.

She sighed and moved forward as he secured his locker. With a slight twinge of caution, Bella tapped his elbow. He turned to her, surprised by the physical contact. Bella cleared her throat, and mustered up the kindest smile she could. He seemed even more taken aback by that. "Um... what's the weather report for this weekend?" He stared at her. "I mean... do you think it's going to be sunny on Saturday?" He thought for a minute.

"No," he said finally. "Why?" He shifted the strap on his shoulder, his thin lips turned into a frown.

"Well... my friends and I are going over to Mike's house for a snowball war..." She kept her smile, despite his confusion. "Would you like to come?" His lips parted as a very familiar pause entered into the conversation. He seemed to be shocked, to put it simply.

"You're... inviting me somewhere?" he clarified.

"Sure," said Bella, hands on the straps of her backpack. "Why not?"

His bemused gazed turned back to his usual brood. "I don't know. Maybe because you're my main food source?"

"I'm not afraid of you," Bella half lied. Edward lofted a brow.

"Oh?" he asked. Bella nodded. About three beats passed, before Edward leaned forward, a low hiss coming from his throat. He curled his lips away, revealing his fangs. Bella felt her heart plummet and she backed up into the water fountain, staring at his face. The memory of that night came into view, and she clutched her straps tighter.

For the first time, a tiny smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.

"You're a terrible liar," he concluded, turning to leave. Bella felt her face grow hot and she scurried up beside him, hitting his arm. He rubbed it, but probably more out of habit then pain.

"And you're a jack ass," she said, frowning. She then turned, standing in front of him to stop his pace. "So what do you say?" Her smile returned. "It'll be fun. You can watch me get pelted with snow balls." He seemed to consider it. He then shook his head, but not as an answer to the question.

"You're so weird."

With that, he turned and left, heading to his next class. Bella huffed. "You're one to talk!" she shouted after him. He didn't answer in words, but gave a little wave just as he turned the corner. Bella let out a chuckle. "_I'm_ the weird one. _Riiiiight_." She then turned the opposite way and headed towards the gym. All the while, she hoped that Edward would swallow his pride and do something social for once.

Without eating anyone, of course.

So what do you guys think so far? You think Edward will actually come? Review! The more reviews, the quicker I post!

~T.


	7. Snowballs and Bloodsuckers

Very nice. Help me get at least four reviews a chapter! And for those of you who want to see the other Cullens, hold your horses. They're on their way. And I've made a few changes to them as well (evil laugh).

**Seven: Snowballs and Bloodsuckers**

**I**t was particularly cold that day. Why, Bella wasn't quite sure. But the night before had frosted the ground with even more snow then that week, making the day perfect for a snowball fight. She had woken up that morning to a sweet text from Chris. After a hot shower and a warm breakfast, she dressed in thick layers and walked over to Mike's house. She had gotten the lay out of much of the town rather quickly, despite her utter lack of directional ability. Also, Mike's house was not too hard to find. It was down just past the general market and the last home before the woods, making for one hell of a back yard. She decided to walk there, as taking her truck would simply waist much needed gas. It was a little difficult to make her way through the thick bank of snow, but she managed. It reminded her faintly of crunching watermelon. Her mind went back to her life in Arizona...

She spent the first half of summer with her friends and mother, and the second half up in Forks. So during the hot days in Phoenix, she spent most of her time sitting beneath cooling fans in her bathing suit, eating watermelon and talking with Maria. What an insane little creature. Maria was the kind of girl who would throw a wrench in everything just to see what it would do. Loud and somewhat obnoxious at first, Bella had grown used to Maria's wild stories and yammering voice. So much so that it felt so odd to not hear it. She would have called Maria as much as she called Chris, but Maria was not a real "phone savvy" person. Ironic, considering how much she liked to talk. But if you weren't in front of your face, she couldn't seem to start a conversation. It was just the way she was. Besides, Bella knew she'd be busy. This year was her last as a high school student. She was probably jumping through hoops just to graduate; she hadn't been the best student over the last three years, so she had to make up a good amount of work this last one. Bella wondered what she was doing now...

When she finally did get to Mike's house, she was glad that she was the first one there. It gave her a chance to warm herself and drink some home made hot chocolate, topped off with a generous amount of whipped cream. As she nursed the liquid, she and Mike got a better chance to know one another. He was quite funny, but not so much in the over-zealous way that Maria was. His humor relied more in wit and one liners then over exuberant antics. Almost in the way Chris held his own charm. She laughed quite a bit that morning. She was just finishing up her hot cocoa when Jessica walked in, unravelling her scarf.

"Hey!" she said from the hallway. She walked in to find Bella and Mike on the couch. Bella noticed something in her face. It was an odd look that she spared the Arizona native. However, it left just as soon as it arrived, and her charming smile returned. "Am I interrupting?" She walked over and sat close to Mike, probably more then she should have, and laid her head along his shoulder.

"Not much," said Mike. "Just getting to know each other. So are the others on their way?"

"Yup," said Jessica, sitting up. "They should be getting here pretty soon."

Bella shifted in her seat. "Oh... I invited someone, too. But I don't think he'll come to be honest."

Jessica turned her gaze to her, a bit surprised. "Really? Who?" She paused and then turned her mouth to a frown. "Don't tell me you invited Creepo..."

"Please stop calling him that," said Bella, hands in her lap. "I just... I saw him getting picked on in the hall and... well, maybe some compassion could do him good."

"Who are you guys talking about?" Mike asked, clearly out of the loop.

"Edward Cullen," said Jessica, folding her arms.

"What?" Mike turned his face to Bella. "You know that guy's trouble, right Bella?"

"Apparently not," his girlfriend said.

"He might not be that bad," the brunette suggested.

"The entire town begs to differ," said Mike with a grunt. "He's a total nut case. Do you know that he hangs out at the old saw mill? The dude's a total freak."

Bella sighed. "Well like I said, he might not even come. He probably won't..." She glanced out of the window, but the clouds were heavy. There was still a slim chance of him arriving...

Very slim.

Soon, everyone had shown. After a new round of hot chocolate (they soon ran out of whipped cream), they headed out of the house, adorned in scarves, boots, and snow mitts, and chose sides. It soon resulted into boys against girls, as there was nearly an even number of each. The girls had an advantage of one player. And considering Bella's throwing arm, it wasn't much of an advantage. They all took to the thin part of the woods that was their battle field for the day. The trees watched in amusement as they bickered over which plot would be whose land, and where the safety was. However, as Jessica informed her, most of this was merely formality – in the heat of the fight, they almost always forgot the rules and simply focused on pelting each other mercilessly. So, once everyone had their territories set up, they all barricaded themselves and created their ammo. Once that was finished, the war began. Snowballs flew back and forth through the air like bullets. Many of them disappeared in the already white frosted trees. Bella became an easy target, as she didn't quite have the speed to duck quick enough. Thankfully, she was able to hide behind a tree, while whimsically throwing clumps of snow blindly out from the side. Things were going well, the laughter fluent from everyone present, including Bella herself. That is, until Tyler noticed something from the thick of the trees. He tapped Eric and pointed, the game stopping for a moment. Confused, Bella turned to see two eyes peering at the group from afar.

There, standing beside the bark of a tall redwood, was Edward Cullen. He had a strange look on his bony face, almost as though he was unsure about joining. His features portrayed that of a sense of longing to join the others, but his body kept him back, his hands clinging to the bark. Bella glanced at the others, particularly Jessica and Mike. While Mike stared in disbelief, Jessica was busy glaring at Bella. She felt herself cringe inside, but turned back to Edward. A long, awkward moment ensued. Slowly, Bella left her spot and moved up to him. He stared at her, his nails digging slightly into the flesh of the tree. Bella felt her heart bang in her throat. She had never tried to touch Edward up till now, probably in the fear that he might bight off her hand. However, she swallowed her uneasiness and moved her hand forward, taking his elbow. Edward's eyes kept to hers, his jaw tightening. However, he did not pull away. She turned and lead him to the others, a few backing up as he entered into the group. Bella cleared her throat as they all keep their distance from one another.

"Um... Edward this is Jessica... Mike, Eric, Angela..." She introduced each one of her friends by name, and vise versa. "Anyway... I did invite him." She smiled at the newcomer, very happy that he came, despite the tension he brought along with him. She bent down and made him a snow ball, putting it in his gloved hand. He stared at it as though it were some foreign object. He then looked back up at Bella, expectantly. She figured that he didn't know who to hit, and it was clear that no one would dare move to strike Edward. So, she supposed she'd have to take the initiative. She scooped up a small mound of snow and flung it lightly at his arm. He looked at it and looked up, though his expression didn't change. She bent down and shoved a bit more into her palms. She hit him again. He huffed a bit this time, but still didn't retaliate. With a bit of a smile, she began to hit him over and over with blobs of powdery white, until finally, he did throw the snowball she had made him. For the first time, she was able to dodge the oncoming ball. Unfortunately for Jessica, who was standing behind her, she wasn't so quick. The white hit her square in the face, sticking to her skin like whipped cream. Bella's smile faded, in fear that she would be even more upset now as she wiped the snow from her eyes. However, her furious gaze was not directed at Bella and Edward, but rather Mike, as he was the one who was laughing at her expense. To try and shut him up, she picked up her own snow and threw it at him, which wound up hitting Tyler. What happened next was a strange and almost cartoon-like chain of events. Tyler aimed for Jessica, who still was throwing at Mike, who was throwing randomly, which struck Angela and Edward, who were both throwing at Bella. As though someone had hit the play button, the scene was back to the playful, laughing game that they were all enjoying prior to Edward's arrival. While Bella hid behind her tree, she let her eyes fall to Edward's face. With his guard finally down, a handsome smile came to his lips. There were even flashes of his fangs, though she was glad no one was paying that much attention to him anymore.

Finally, the sun became scarce above their war, and both sides (not that they really existed at this point) had thrown up their white flag, so to speak. After warming up a bit inside, they all split off from one another, heading home. Because it was dark, Bella coaxed Edward into walking her home. After all, Charlie wouldn't be off for a few more hours, and all the others were getting a ride or driving back. Besides, she wanted a chance to talk to him after this. She was proud of his break out from his anti-social norm, after all. She smiled as they crunched along the snow.

"I'm glad you came," she said, breath steaming from her mouth. Edward shrugged, but Bella knew that he was glad too. It was apparent by the smile he wore that day. "So what made you decide to go?" Edward thought for a moment, looking off to the side.

"No one's ever invited me anywhere," he admitted finally. He kicked a little snow off the top of the side walk. "I... figured I might as well go." Bella's smile became warmer, but she said nothing to the comment. They walked in silence for a little while longer. "So... do you do stuff like that that often?"

"Sometimes," said Bella. "I've never been in a snowball fight before, but I go with them places." She nudged him. "You should come too. It'll be fun." A glimmer of a half smile came to his face.

"We'll see," he said, looking up to the dusk ridden sky. Once the street lamps came on, he felt it safe enough to take off his hood. He ruffled his hair and sighed. It was then that Bella noticed that his breath did not make steam as hers did. She stared at his mouth in wonder.

"Hey..." He looked to her. "Are you dead?" He stopped in his steps, and she did as well. It was the question that she had always been meaning to ask, but it never found its way out. He didn't seem upset or offended. Instead, he truly took the question into consideration. He then took off his glove and put his finger to the inside of his mouth. Edward pricked it with his sharp fang, then held it up to her to show her a small leak of red blood.

"I don't think I am," he concluded, sucking on the tip of his finger. They began to walk again. "I mean... I bleed and sleep and get hungry..." He frowned. "It's just... different then what I remember as a human. I can't really explain how." He rubbed his hands together, putting the glove back on. "Almost like... my body and soul aren't really connected."

"Hm..." Bella tried to imagine what it that would be like, but her mind ran a bit of a blank. They walked for the rest of the time without speaking to one another. Finally, they arrived at her home. Charlie's car was not there, nor were any of the porch lights on. Edward looked out towards the town. "When is your dad coming home?"

"Probably in an hour or so," said Bella. "Maybe longer." She walked up to her porch and opened the door. She paused and looked to him. "Do you want to come in?" He once more took his time in answering. He nodded and walked up to the porch. However, he didn't follow her inside. She paused and stared at him. "...You ok?"

"You have to say it." Bella merely blinked at him. "You have to say that I can come in."

"Why?" He gave no answer. "Alright fine. You can come in." After that, he crossed the borderline in her doorframe and looked around her house. As he did, she shut and locked the door behind her. Edward wandered his way into the kitchen, peering out the back window.

"It's a nice night," he remarked. He turned to look at her. "Do you want to come back outside with me?" She found the question strange. They had just been outside for the entire day. But she agreed and the two went into the back yard, which – like Mike's house – doubled as the edge of the dense forest. As he walked, he stripped himself of his jacket and gloves, closing his eyes. He then stood in one place, staying as still as the trees around him.

"Won't you get cold?" she asked, rubbing her own hands close together. He shook his head.

"I hate wearing my jacket," he said, his eyes opening. He looked up to the canopy above them, as of staring at something magnificent. "I forgot what the sun feels like..." Bella stared at him for a moment before walking to his side. He looked over to her.

"How long have you been like this?" she asked softly. He turned his eyes back to the trees.

"A while," he admitted. "Almost a century, actually..."

Bella followed his gaze, watching the leaves glisten with ice in the twilight. "Why did you come to the high school?" Again, the question was one that she had wanted to ask, but never really got around to it. A low chortle came from his chest. He turned to look at her, an ironic grin on his face.

"I wanted to feel normal."

Bella couldn't help but laugh at that, and he actually joined in. However, his laughter suddenly cut short, his smile dropping from his face almost immediately. Like a cat sensing danger, his back went stiff, his eyes narrowing as he gazed through the dark. Bella looked around as well, now alert that something was wrong. What it was, she wasn't sure.

"What is it?" she asked quietly. Edward was about to answer, when someone interrupted him.

"Good evening, Mr. Cullen."

The two turned to see a man leaning against the tree, staring at the two of them. He had black hair that hung around his face, which was a gray, ashy color. At one point, he might have been black, but his pigments had seemed to drain from his skin. His eyes were sharp and dark, like Edward's, and his face was curling and snide. He put his fingertips to his chest.

"Nomads," Edward sneered, the hair on the back of his neck standing up.

"It's such a pleasure to finally meet one of you. Your clan is infamous, of course." He bowed his head a bit, keeping his eyes glued to Edward's face. His voice had a faint French twinge to it. "My name is Laurent." His eyes then slid over to Bella. The girl felt her body freeze over as he smiled, fangs immodestly in view. "Ah... didn't mean to interrupt a meal."

"Perhaps he can be a good little host and share...?" Bella's head whipped around, her eyes landing on another vampire. This one was female, her voice quite similar to that of a snake's. Her bushy hair was a vibrant red, her eyes as piercing as a hawk's. She slithered from the trees, her fingers playing with a couple pieces of bark.

"Now now, Victoria," Laurent chided playfully. "It's rude to feed without being asked. Isn't that right, James?"

Bella could feel her body curl within her as a low grunt sounded behind the two of them. The third vampire – James – was perhaps the most intimidating of the three. He wasn't as coy as the others, and remained silent, shadows over his eyes almost to the point of making them invisible. His greasy hair sat behind his head in a pony tail, and from beneath a ripped, jean jacket, sat lean, burly arms. Bella could tell by the growling that he was the main hunter of the group. He stood only a few feet away, causing Bella to back up, trembling slightly. Her heal came down on something and she fell into the snow. Victoria found the act to be quite enjoyable and she let out a slight shriek of laughter, her red hair bouncing against her neck and shoulders. Bella got back up and looked to Edward. His eyes were on Laurent, though something told Bella that he kept most of his senses on James.

"You know this territory is claimed by my clan," said Edward, authority in his voice. "Nomads are warned to stay away from here."

"Ah," said Laurent slyly. "Forgive us, we must have forgotten."

"Well now you remember, do you not?" Edward said in a dangerous tone. Victoria gave a faint hiss under her breath, sensing Edward's threat. "I know myself and my clan would appreciate it if you left." Laurent clicked his tongue.

"Come now, we just got here," he said, his hands raised up. "Surely you can – "

"No," said Edward shortly. "Forgive me, but my clan doesn't make a habit of entertaining your kind."

Laurent's face twisted in a slight scowl. He seemed offended by the phrase used to describe him and the other two. "What rude hosts," he commented darkly. His eyes once more drifted to Bella. "Then perhaps you'll give us a parting gift? We won't kill her... But we are a bit parched. Long journey, you see..." He stopped, however, when Edward's hand gripped Bella's arm a bit tightly.

"That is out of the question," he growled. Victoria snickered.

"Possessive of your food?" she simpered playfully. "How selfish."

Edward shot her a look. "I guess you can say that. Rather, I don't like sharing with brutal, filthy creatures like yourself."

Laurent became even more heated. "Are you suggesting you're better then us?" he snapped.

"Oh no," said Edward cockily. "Not at all. I'm telling you flat out. Myself and my clan refuse to stoop to your low level of beast-hood. The fact that our two ways of life can even be compared is a complete insult. You and yours are nothing but weak willed animals who lack no inner strength to even try and preserve your former, human selves. You're disgusting and repugnant. Just your stench is enough to send the lowest demons of hell cringing at your arrival."

In a sudden flash, James was right in front of him, hand on Edward's throat. Just as quickly, Edward did the same to James' throat. They strangled each other with one hand, their nails digging into one another's skin. However, neither waned or even flinched. Victoria snorted at Edward's comments, while Laurent stood up straight, glowering at the other vampire. "Victoria, James... Come along." He turned on his heal and left, Victoria close behind. James leaned in close to Edward, his lips pointedly revealing his sharpened fangs.

"Watch yourself... _Cullen_."

With that rough warning, the two let each other go, and the three disappeared, leaving Bella and Edward alone. Bella looked to him, terror in her eyes. "Are... are they going to do something? Edward...?"

However, Edward didn't answer. He just stared at the spot they left in, lips closed tightly around his teeth. His head turned a bit and he picked up his jacket and gloves. "You're father's on his way," he said, turning from her. He paused. "Bella... is there a cross necklace anywhere in your house?"

Bella thought for a moment. "I... think so. In my mother's old jewelry box."

"Wear it. Don't take it off for anything. Understand?" Bella nodded. With that, Edward left as well. The girl then scurried into her house, afraid of being left alone after such a scene.

Yeah, I refuse to make these three pop out of nowhere at the very end. There's going to be actual plot in my story. Keep sending me your reviews!

~T.


	8. Clonflictions

Again, thank you for the favorites, but what I really want is reviews! Keep them coming, ok? Oh, and a side note: the "snaps and shoots someone" line coming up? That was an actual description Rob Patterson gave of Edward when asked in an interview. One of the many reasons I respect him.

**Eight: Conflictions**

**I**t took Bella over two hours to actually find the silver cross that was lying with a dusty selection of her mother's old things. But she was glad that she was right about having it. If she didn't, she would either have to buy one or make one, and she highly doubted a home made cross would ward off vampires. So, she put the necklace around her throat and locked both her door and window, watching the outside until she fell asleep. Her dreams were filled with eyeless, soulless creatures who hissed and slithered to her side. They bound her and gripped her body, laughing as she squirmed in attempts to get away. Even in the times she did get away, they always found her, demanding that she give them what they want. Bella awoke that morning at three am, and found it impossible to go back to sleep. So, she spent the most of her morning in a hot bath, fiddling with her cross necklace. She almost felt relief when the weekend was over and Monday arrived. It gave her something to do other then fret and pace the house for hours; there was no way she was leaving her home alone after Saturday.

That Monday seemed like any other, even though Jessica shot Bella a glare or two. However, the girl was far too busy in her own thoughts to notice. What were those nomads doing there? How did they know about Edward's family? Why did he hate them so much? Would things become dangerous now? These questions and others flooded her mind as she made her way to first period, gripping her teddy bear bag tighter then needed. She sat next to Edward, as usual, who didn't seem frazzled in the slightest. He passed Bella a glance.

"Are you wearing it?" he asked. She nodded and showed him the trinket. He averted his eyes with a curt nod. "Good. Keep it on at all times." She paused and looked at his reaction.

"Are you… bothered by it?" His eyes turned back to hers.

"Not really," he said with a shrug. "If you were wearing garlic, it'd be a different matter. No, what a cross does is sort of complicated. See, it makes it so that no skin of a vampire can come in contact with your neck. Watch." He moved his gloved finger over and touched her throat. "Now if my gloves were off, on the other hand, it would singe my fingertips." He took his hand away and Bella rubbed the part he touched.

"Oh…" She looked up to the clock, watching as the second hand ticked on.

"Bella?" The girl turned her eyes to the vampire, having been drawn away from her blank stare. Edward was looking at the table, his fingers mindlessly scraping off the flimsy paint. "I… think it'd be best if you stop being nice to me for a while." She blinked, confused. He glanced at her quickly before looking towards the wall. "I appreciate it… I just don't want you to associate yourself with me too much. At least until the nomads are gone…"

Bella felt a strange disappointment in this. It was noble of him to try and look out for her, yes. And it might keep her out of the sticky situation that had presented itself the minute Edward began to insult the newcomers. Still… she was sad to hear Edward's conclusion. It was a strange thing, hearing someone say "don't be nice to me." It almost felt like Edward was rejecting her. A stupid thought, but her feeling on the matter none the less. She looked down to the silver cross, playing with it still. She nodded wordlessly, but kept her eyes on the silver between her fingers. And so, the two of them worked in silence until the bell rang and they split off into different classes. Waiting for her in math was a very pissed off looking Jessica.

"Well?" she inquired. Bella blinked.

"Well what?" she asked, having forgotten about the snowball fight.

"Why did you invite him?" The two girls scurried into class, sitting beside one another. Jessica's interrogation was just getting started. "You've been hanging with him a lot lately. I'm worried."

"He's not going to do anything to me," said Bella with a slight pout. Of course, there was always a chance that she could be wrong about that.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Well maybe not you, but what about the rest of us? You know he hates pretty much everyone. It's only a matter of time before he snaps and shoots someone."

"You don't give him enough credit," Bella persisted. "He's actually really disciplined." Jessica snorted at that, making Bella's frown deepen.

"Right. Tell that to Thomas Dean. That's the boy he murdered."

"What?" Bella's heart did a back flip. "What do you mean…?" Her frown returned, blocking her shock. "Wait, are you talking about the boy who disappeared? You never said anything about murdered – he just went missing!"

"And where do you think he went?" Jessica snapped. "We all know Cullen did it. They just haven't been able to pin any evidence on him yet."

"You don't even know him," Bella retorted.

"Oh, and you do?" Jessica folded her arms, jerking her head so that her sandy hair flipped passed her shoulder. "Just how long have you two been hanging out together, hm?" Bella kept silent, huffing, while Jessica smirked victoriously. "See? You don't know him that well."

"Better then you do," Bella continued. At least that part she could be completely confident in. "Besides, just because you don't know someone doesn't mean you have the right to talk about them."

"Can you say for sure it's not true?"

"No…"

"Then I think that settles our case right there." Jessica leaned against her seat, satisfied that she had the last word. Bella pouted, but decided not to continue the fight. Besides, she wasn't supposed to seem attached to him because of the nomads, anyway. Still, the way Jessica acted like she knew him was irritating to say the least. She went through the rest of the day like that: frustrated and slightly helpless at the reality around her. When school let out, she marched over to her truck, still peeved at the whole thing. She was getting ready to leave, when she saw a very peculiar sight. She looked over to her left to see Edward Cullen in a slightly heated conversation with Jacob Black. So, she put her things in the truck and headed over two the both of them.

"Jacob?" The two turned their heads to her. "What are you doing here?"

"Bella?" the boys said in perfect unison. They looked at one another. "You know her?" They shared mirrored frowns. "Of course I do. Quit that!"

Jacob broke the copying in order to turn his attention to Bella. "I figured I'd pick you up," he said lightly, though Bella could tell he had something to hide behind that charming smile.

"Don't down play her intelligence," Edward snapped. "She knows full well what's going on."

Jacob's smile turned to a snarl at him. "Really? If she knows full well, what exactly is she doing within a hundred feet of _you_?"

"Oh get bent, you flea bag."

"Bite me, blood sucker."

"Is that an invitation?"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Bella jumped in between the two, putting both hands up. "Easy, both of you." They glowered at one another, but said nothing. Bella turned to Jacob. "Listen… I do know what's going on. I'm taking precautions. Look." She held up her cross, and he seemed satisfied with that, if only slightly.

"Well that's good…" He turned his glare back to Edward. "I hope he's taken steps to keep the nomads away from civilization this time?"

"This time?" Bella turned to him. "Has this happened before? Nomads popping out of nowhere, I mean." Edward said nothing, looking off to the side.

"Sure has," Jacob spat, Bella turning her attention back to him. "In fact, just four months ago, there was an incident with one of the local boys. Funny, it seems like they show up whenever you first introduce yourself to a group of humans – "

"Are you suggesting I brought them here?!" Edward said, his voice a low, dangerous hiss.

"The first time a boy went missing, you just started human high school," Jacob pointed out. "And then, right as it's rumored that you're getting friendly with a group of humans, they show up again, unannounced. It sounds to me that you're their food delivery boy…"

"Well then get your ears cleaned, mutt," Edward said defensively. "Or are you forgetting that the reason we're here is to protect you sniveling little – "

"Correction," Jacob snapped. "The reason we _let _you stay here is because we didn't want to fight such low creatures in the first place. And if you want to kill off your own, then that's fine with me. But it's not like you guys are doing such a bang up job lately, are you?"

"You got complaints? Then don't come crying to us when your tribe is made an all you can eat buffet. Or better yet, we'll let you watch as they pick off the lesser, weaker humans. You really want that on your conscious, Cujo?"

"I'm sorry, who was it who gave you shelter when you were hurt and dawn was approaching? Even though it was against our will?"

Edward huffed and spun on his heal. "Whatever. Just tell your Dad that I have nothing to do with it."

"I'll think about it," said Jacob spitefully. Edward gave him one last glare before storming off. Jacob smiled to Bella. "Sorry you had to see that…" He let it fall slightly as he crossed his arms. "Anyway… So I guess you know why I'm really here then?" Bella nodded and Jacob rubbed the side of his head. "Yeah… Well just so long as you know what's going on." He let his steal eyes travel to Edward's back. "Keep an eye on him for me…" Bella looked over to where Edward was also getting things into his car like the other students. Bella sighed, feeling like she was talking to Jessica all over again.

"Please, Jacob. He's really not that bad." She turned her eyes to the native, though she could have sworn Edward had stopped in his motions, almost perking up to hear, even though he was well over thirty yards away. "He's disciplined himself to stay here without attacking anyone. He even had a chance to hurt me one time… He didn't. You need to give him a little more credit."

Jacob's lips parted at her defense. He glanced over to Edward, and Bella did the same. Her pulse quickened as she realized that Edward was staring over to the both of them. He quickly looked away and she did also. She turned her eyes back to Jacob, who closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He nodded. "Alright, alright… So he's disciplined himself." He gave him a weak smile, taking his hand away. "But for me… just be careful, ok?" Bella nodded and he gave her a friendly hug. After one more glanced to Edward, he got into his car (he passed his test a while ago) and drove off, Bella moving towards her truck. She got in, looking at herself in the mirror. Her eyes trailed down to the crucifix on her neck and she touched it yet again. Maybe… everyone was right. She had only really known Edward for a less then a couple of weeks. Maybe he was as bad as everyone said. She shook her head and started the car. All of this was very confusing.

And something told her things would only get worse.

Well, like I said, review!

~T.


	9. A Slippery Slope

Alright! My story's getting some feedback! Let's keep this up! And lol – the confessed attempted flame… that made me giggle.

**Nine: A Slippery Slope**

**T**here were several reasons why things happened the way they did that day. The ice was slicker then usual. Tyler's breaks were old. Bella parked in a different spot then normal. Tyler was in a rush to leave. Bella was lingering to stay. If any one of these variables had changed – if the ice was thinner, if Bella had taken her usual spot – then things would not have happened how they had. But there was no way she or anyone else could have changed what happened.

It didn't exactly start out as any other day. Bella had been bogged down ever since the prior afternoon with thoughts of vampires and monsters. She worried for the sake of herself, her friends, and her father. What would these nomads want? They had only arrived a few days ago, and already they were making trouble. Charlie had come home late the night before because someone reported a few shady characters looming about the streets at night. It appeared to be nothing but a false alarm, but Bella was certain it was those three. Were they staying just to cause insult to the Cullens, of whom they obviously hated? Or was there a different reason – perhaps someone in town smelled particularly good? Whatever the reason, Bella didn't like it. And she knew Edward, who seemed to hate the nomads just as much as they did him, didn't like it either. So, she came to school that day a bit late, causing her to have to park in the back of the lot instead of near the middle like she had for the past two months. She was able to get past the ice without falling flat on her face, though it was no easy task. The once powder like snow had turned into nasty, mud tinted sleet, tripping bystanders up at will. She was very glad to make it safely into the school building, though the floors were wet with trailed in ice. Avoiding any slippery puddles, she headed to her first period – biology.

She sat in her place, Edward right there beside her, as usual. Neither of them spoke. It seemed as though they had reverted back to their old silence. But this quiet was much different then what they were used to. It was a guilt ridden, lamenting silence. Bella could almost feel the self loathing that wafted off from the vampire like an aroma from food. Bella knew she couldn't be nice to him anymore, but that didn't mean she couldn't speak to him. Although he probably already knew about their appearance, she decided to tell him about the suspicious characters her father investigated the night before.

"Someone called in about three suspects last night," she began, fiddling with her pencil. "My dad came home late… He said it was nothing…" She paused, knowing that he felt the same as she. Bella turned her worried gaze to him. "Is my dad going to be alright…?" she asked in a low tone. He shrugged at that.

"Hard to say," he grunted. "I talked to Carlisle. He said he doesn't know who or what they're hunting… They might just be passing through, but I highly doubt it." His jaw clenched in anger.

Bella looked down to her table, picking at the paint's thin skin. "How long will they stay…?"

"A week," said Edward. "A month. A year. It all depends on what we're dealing with. But we haven't had nomads come to Forks in a long time. They know that this is our territory."

"You mean your family…?" He nodded. "Are nomads afraid of your family?"

He looked at her and then looked to the wall. "Let's just say they don't leave in the best shape." Bella wanted to ask more on the subject, but Mr. Tesler called attention to the class, passing out worksheets. They began to work silently. "Are you wearing your crucifix?" asked Edward in a whisper. Bella nodded, showing him the chain. "Good. Keep it on." She swore to and focused back to her work.

The rest of the day passed without much a due. Bella wanted to call her father to see what he was doing, but she knew that they wouldn't likely hunt in the day time. Still, she worried. Once the day was over, Bella slowly made her way to her old truck. Though she was worried over her father's safety, she was a little afraid to come home. A horrid image of her father laying dead on the living room floor haunted her eyes for a moment and she rubbed them to shoo it away. However, as much as her mind tried to console her heart, it would not slow. Rather, it sped up, paining at the thought of what her father could get himself into. She pulled off her teddy bear backpack and played with the straps, making an excuse to not get in the car yet. She was torturing herself – procrastinating from coming home to possibly find her father had met his fate.

Suddenly, a horrible screech filled her ears, and she whipped around.

It happened in an instant. Yet to Bella, time seemed to slow. Her heart, which had already been hammering at the prospect of a dead father, was now beating so fast it nearly flat lined. Tyler's large van was skidding across the sheet of ice that paved the parking lot, and was swerving right at her. She scrambled to get out of the way, but the masochistic sleet beneath her yanked her to her knees, her torso right in the way of the screaming body of metal. Her eyes were glued on the gray blue door that shot at her, the thoughts of her own death now replacing her father's. Just when it got to her nose – it stopped.

Instead of staring at a metallic door ready to slam her face in, Bella was staring at a black leather glove, the metal warped perfectly against the contours of the hand it covered. Without knowing quite what was going on, Bella let her eyes trail from the hand up to the face of Edward, who was staring at her, mere inches away from her face. The look on his features was shock. He was probably just as surprised by his actions as she was. Suddenly, her brain booted up as she heard people call out her name. She shook her head.

"You'll be exposed!" was the first thing that came out of her mouth. "Quick! Before someone sees!" Edward nodded, coming to his senses as well. With a flash, he was gone, leaving Bella alone between two cars. She was suddenly bombarded by a mob of faces, asking her all the same question. Was she alright? Was she hurt? Did they need to call an ambulance? Bella smiled weakly and said that Tyler's van had just missed her. However, there was no use hiding how wobbly the event had made her. She had to lean against Angela in order to hobble out from where she was. They ended up calling an ambulance for her. Bella felt guilt as the others worried over her well being. After all – she wasn't hurt and she knew it. But it wasn't like she could tell them that. The paramedics got there quickly and she was lead into the ambulance and taken to the hospital, a select few coming with. Jessica put her hand on her heart as the medics took her vitals.

"Jesus you scared us!" she said, her face probably as white as Bella's. "We thought you died!" She looked up as Mike smacked Tyler hard in the back of the head.

"What were you thinking?!" he snapped. "I thought you said you were gonna put new break fluid in that thing!"

"It was the ice!" Tyler defended. "I forgot to put chains on… God, I should have prevented this! Bella, I'm so, _so_ sorry!"

Again, Bella felt guilt at his fretting. "I'm ok, really. Just a little shaken… And I know you didn't mean it."

"That's no damn excuse," Jessica snapped, heated at Tyler for being so negligent. "He could have killed you!"

"I'm not dead," Bella pointed out, a faint smile on her cheeks. As the three bickered amongst one another, Bella took to holding Angela's hand. Again, she was grateful for her not so talkative ways.

They arrived at the ER in little time, and Bella was carted to a room. After a couple of tests, the doctors concluded that she was quite lucky, but they still wanted to keep her over night for observation. She didn't protest, not wanting to give away what really happened. Once her tests were over, Charlie had finally been let in. He rushed to Bella's side, taking her hands.

"Oh God!" he said, worried sick. "I thought… Oh my God when they told me you were in an accident…"

"I'm fine, Daddy…" Bella said gently, giving him a kind smile. "Really. The doctors said I'm very lucky." Charlie put a hand to his heart and sat on the side of the bed. Bella then propped herself up from where she was laying and wrapped her thin arms around his chest. They sat there for a minute, Bella able to feel the rapid pulse that went through her father's body. He must have been so worried about her…

Bella loved her father. Even though they were only able to see one another during summer, she loved him dearly. They were so alike – in mannerisms, in habits, in speech… She knew the divorce was not to be blamed on Charlie. He was a kind, tender man. Trusting and loving to a fault. The reason he and her mother were not together was simply because her mother wasn't one to stay in a small town like Forks. Their two lives were simply incomparable. Bella had known that all her life. And so, she held no resentment towards her father, and neither did Renee. As Charlie hugged her, he calmed, and soon was able to break from her with a sigh.

"I'm glad you're ok…" he said, petting her hair fondly. "Do you want me to stay with you? It's already late…" Bella looked to the window. Indeed, it was dark out. Bella hadn't even noticed. Bella sighed and looked to him.

"No," she said kindly. "I want you to go home and get some rest, ok?" She smiled, hand on his cheek. "I saw how tired you were when you came home last night. I don't want you worrying all night over here." Charlie looked like he wanted to object, but caved in and nodded, the circles obvious beneath his eyes.

"Alright…" He smiled back at her and kissed her forehead, standing up. "But you have to promise to get some sleep." She did. "I'll see you, Bells…" He turned to leave, when Bella realized something.

It was night time. And he was going outside.

"Dad?" He turned to look at her. Bella hesitated. Edward told her not to take it off… but he needed it more then she did at the moment. She took off her crucifix and motioned him closer. She hung it around his neck. "Promise me you'll wear this tonight? All night?"

Charlie looked a bit confused. "Um… ok. I promise, Bella." Bella let out a relieved sigh and nodded.

"Thank you. I love you, Dad."

"I love you too…" With a hug and another kiss, Charlie turned and left the hospital room, leaving Bella alone with her thoughts. She laid against her bed, now feeling unprotected since her cross wasn't on. But if there was any trouble, she'd hit the emergency button above her head. Her eyes were ready to droop and lull her to sleep, when she heard a tap at her window. She sat up and looked to the glass. Sure enough, a golden eye was peering at her through the glass. She looked over to the door and hopped out of bed, closing it. After making sure it was locked, she went to the window and pulled it open. She popped her head out.

"Edward?" she said in surprise. She looked at him as he hung off the wall. "What are you standing on?"

He blinked at her. "I'm not." Bella turned her gaze down to his feet. Sure enough, they were resting on nothing but wall. He reminded her strongly of Spiderman, hanging off of the side like that. "Can I come in?"

Bella blanked for a second, and then remembered that she had to say it. "Yes. You can come in." She stood aside and he slipped into her room, closing the window behind him. She sat on her bed as he walked into the middle of the room.

"Carlisle's pissed," he said bluntly, arms folded. He stared at the blank television that hung off the ceiling. "He said I was too reckless today." He paused. "He was even angrier when I told him you know."

Bella felt the color drain from her face. "What…? I thought you said you wouldn't – !"

"I wasn't exactly given a choice," Edward interrupted her. "Carlisle heard my thoughts."

Bella blinked. "What?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. Edward looked at her.

"His dark gift," he explained. "Every vampire has one. It's just different depending on who you are. I guess you can say Carlisle reads minds. But only when he focuses on one person, and only the current thought they have."

"Oh…" Bella let her eyes drift to her bed. "I see…" She paused. "Did I get you in trouble?" she asked meekly, looking up at him. He ran a hand through his light hair.

"I got myself in trouble," he said, turning to her. "The fact that nomads are here doesn't really help the situation…" He rubbed his chin. "Besides, the natives are pissed off, too. That adds even more pressure on Carlisle to get rid of the nomads." He sighed. "But he won't… Not so long as they eat quickly and pass through. Still…"

Bella looked down to her lap once more, fingers playing with one another. "Edward?" She could hear him shift to look at her. "Why'd you save me in the first place?" Their eyes met, and he seemed confused. "I mean… I'm causing so much trouble for you… Why didn't you just… let me die?"

A silence followed the question. It was a good question to ask, after all. They had no connection. No emotional or physical attachment. She meant nothing to him, he really held no value to her. So why then? Why go through all that trouble? Logically, it would have made more sense to just let the van hit her. And yet he saved her. He risked his identity for someone who already put himself and his family in danger. He turned his eyes away, his lips closed.

"I'm not sure," he said finally. He looked out the window and shook his head. "Get some rest. And don't open your window for anyone unless it's me." He walked over to it and slipped out. Bella hurried to the ledge.

"Edward?" He stopped, just ready to close it behind him. Bella put on a gentle smile. "Thank you." That seemed to surprise him most of all. Bella was certain that a small tint of color hinted his cheeks now. He pouted, trying to look sullen again, though it didn't exactly work.

"Whatever," he huffed. He closed the window and leapt, disappearing into the black abyss of night.

Yes, I kept the car thing. Why? It wasn't a half bad idea. Granted, how it was portrayed in the original book was god awful, but what the hell? Review!

~T.


	10. Meet the Family

Thank you all for the reviews! I'm so happy that you are all so quick to leave comments! I wanted to post this sooner, but I had to catch a train. Anyway, for those of you who have been screaming the Cullens' names for the past few chapters, here you go. Enjoy.

**Ten: Meet the Family**

"**_Y_**_ou didn't call me last night_."

Bella blinked as she held her phone. "Oh... Sorry Chris..." She sat on her bed, finally released from the hospital earlier that day. Unfortunately, Charlie had another late night ahead of him, so Bella was on her own for that night. Her friends had been worried for her safety, and her mother had called in hysterics, after hearing from her father. But by that evening, everything had been settled, and she had decided to fill Chris on what had happened the day before. By the way he sounded on the phone, he clearly though she had ulterior motives for not calling. "Things have been hectic," she began carefully.

"_Hectic?_" said Chris. "_How? Something wrong?_"

"Well..." She played with the ends of her pant leg, picking her words with caution. "School's been hard... Biology especially." But not exactly for reasons he'd expect. "And... well... I sort of..." She chuckled nervously. "Well I sort of almost got hit by a car yesterday... Funny, story, actually..."

There was a pause on the other line. "_You what? Woah, woah, woah! You almost got hit by a car?! What the hell...? When did this happen?! Were you distracted? What the hell happened?!_"

"Calm down!" said Bella quickly. "It's ok... I'm not hurt or anything. The ice was really slick and my friend's breaks needed to be fixed..."

"_Jesus, Bella... Why didn't you call me?_" His tone was relieved, with still that faint twinge of irritation from before. But a little more understanding now.

"I was in the hospital. But it was only for observation," she added quickly. "Really, Chris. I'm fine. I'm still living and all that..." After a few more minutes of reassuring him that she was in fact very much alive and well, they said their goodnights, and Bella laid along the top of her bed. It was night, but not near late enough for her to sleep yet. So she figured she'd just lay awake, thinking until it was time. So many thoughts ran through her mind. Many of them circled around Edward's mysterious family...

He said his father was upset. Would he do anything to him? Or rather, to her? Carlisle now knew that she knew their secret. She half expected to wake up in some bleak castle, chained to a wall as Carlisle's prisoner. Then she wondered about the man himself. He obviously commanded a good deal of respect. With how fast rumors spread in the dinky little town, a man with the ability to keep opinions about himself personally while staying so secluded was an amazing feet. Then she wondered about him personally. Edward mentioned that his dark gift was mind reading... Her curiosity began to perk up. What was Edward's? They apparently differed... were their certain types? Were some more useful then others? Did it depend on personality? Did it depend on birth? Or who turned you to begin with? The way you were turned, perhaps? So many factors... It made Bella's mind throb with questions.

She heard a tap at her window.

Bolting up, she clutched her neck, only to remember that Charlie still had it in his possession. However, it wasn't like she'd need it. Edward's face peered at her from behind the glass. She zipped up the light jacket that she was wearing so that he wouldn't notice it wasn't there. She had a feeling he'd be angry with her if he did. She went to the window and allowed him in. He paced, nervously, rubbing his hands together. "Something wrong?" she asked.

Edward rubbed the back of his neck and turned to her. "Carlisle wants to talk to you... He's so pissed off..." Bella's heart dropped into her stomach. Carlisle... the head of an undead, demon clan wanted to talk to her. She sat on the corner of her bed, her legs having gone weak. Edward saw her reaction and sighed.

"Relax," he said. "It's not like he wants to eat you. We're both in for a heavy lecture though..." He rubbed his eyes irritably. "My sister just won't shut up about how irresponsible I'm being... I swear, Rosalie gets on my nerves all the damn time..."

Bella shook her head, trying to regain her composure. "O-oh... When does he want to see me?"

"Right now would be good," said Edward with a shrug.

"Now...?" Bella squeaked. "Like... right this second?"

"Your dad's working late again tonight, isn't he?" Bella nodded. "Then yes. Right this second."

"B-but... But I'm not ready! What if he interrogates me! What if he thinks I'm too much of a liability to be left alive! What if – !"

"Will you calm down?" Edward said sharply, shutting her up. She closed her mouth, though her eyes still sparked with fear at the prospect of meeting Carlisle Cullen. Edward sat beside her and took a breath. After a moment's pause, he turned to Bella and put his hands on her shoulders. "Listen," he said clearly. "I've known Carlisle all my new life. He wouldn't hurt you. And even if he tried to... I'll be right there with you. And I won't let him. Alright?"

Bella blinked at him. How odd... Edward was trying to comfort her. The boy who had called her flat chested and even threatened her life before, fangs ablaze, was easing her troubled mind. It was... sweet, to say the least. And Bella appreciated it. She smiled slightly and patted Edward's clammy hand. Then, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Edward's cheek in a friendly fashion.

"Thank you," she said kindly, drawing back. "That makes me feel better..." Her nervousness resurfaced. "Granted, I'm still really worried that I'll end up a walking zombie or something... but at least I'm not as worried anymore..."

Edward just sat there, his lips parted slightly and his eyebrows to his hairline. He then took his hands away swiftly and stood, clearing his throat. "Y-yes, well..." He shifted around and fumbled, trying to regain his composure. "Anyway." He turned back to her. "We'd better get there now if we're going to come back in time before the sunset." He walked over to the window, reopening it. "Get on."

Bella stood behind him, pulling on a thicker jacket. "Um... what?" He looked over his shoulder as he crouched on the window ledge.

"Get on my back," he said simply. "I'll take you there." Bella looked at him uncertainly for a moment, but walked forward and put her hands on his shoulders. He grabbed her thighs and hoisted her onto his back without so much as a wince or shift at her weight. Then, without warning, he shot off, leaping into the tree tops seamlessly. She yelped and clung to his neck, trembling at his speed. Her face was slapped with cold air as he sprang from tree to tree, moving in sharp, jagged motions. Bella felt her eyes sting, but she couldn't stand to pull them away. Instead, they directed outward and down, watching as the ground below them flashed by. For the few moments that they were airborne, Bella could see aspects of Forks, the details simplified to that of a doll town. She couldn't get quite a good picture of it, but the snapshots she did see clearly reminded her of Christmas cards and old, American oil paints. Her body felt weightless in those few seconds, and she felt like she was flying. Finally, however, they landed abruptly on the ground, leaves and dirt aroused and disturbed in the air about them. As Bella was set to the ground, her legs wobbled and her body was buzzed considerably. She couldn't even stand for the first few seconds. The moment she was placed on her feet, her knees gave way and she nearly tumbled forward, if Edward hadn't caught her. Once she found her footing again, she assured him that she was fine and looked to where they were.

They stood out in front of an old, Victorian style home, looming before them like a dark, deep shadow. It was furnished with mahogany wood, almost blending in with the night around it. There were panes and ledges where windows would have gone, but the glass was replaced with wood matching the outer walls of the house. There were no cars, not even a drive way. The door that stood in their path was a large thing, probably made of oak. The porch was elevated and finely furnished, much like the rest of the house. From what Bella could see, there were two stories, the roof slanted with gray red tiles. It watched them, waiting for their next move. Edward put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked to him. "Come on." He took her hand then and lead her up to the foreboding doorway. Turning the iron handle, he opened the large door, revealing a dark hallway, lit dimly with candles that hung from holders that rested on the walls. Edward shut the door, causing the corridor to become even harder to see then before. From what she could tell, the walls were the same color as the outside, and the hallway floor was carpeted with deep, blood red fabric. Bella gripped Edward's hand tighter as they moved through the hallway. Edward paused a few steps in and frowned. He turned to her.

"I'm going to go see if he's in his study," he said to her. "Stay here. I'll only be gone a little bit. Can you do that for me?" Even though her nerves were now standing even more on end at the idea of being alone, she nodded, gripping her hands tightly to one another. "Good. I'll be right back, I promise." With that, he turned and left, his padded footsteps fading away into the darkness. She shivered, a cold front even stronger then the one outside washed over her. She gripped her arms, even though she was wearing two jackets. Just as the forest and the desert she loved, the house had a life of its own. But this one was not like the welcoming personas of her favorite places. No. This life form was a taunting, beast like aura. One that haunted the dark corners of her mind.

_Bella..._

Her stomach tingled as a strange, warm sensation began to flow through her veins. Her body – at first erect and immobile – slowly became relaxed, her worried mind coming to a strange, unnerving ease. Her head slowly turned to the left. A staircase sat beside her. Had it always been there? Her eyes trailed to the top, which faded away into shadow. Something was at the top. Something she wanted... She needed to go up there... Moving on its own, her body turned and walked her up the steps, slowly. A small voice in the back of her head tried to warn her. It tried to say that she had promised Edward that she'd stay in one place. But it couldn't hurt to explore just a bit. Besides... what was beyond that staircase was more wonderful then anything Edward could ever possess. How she knew this or why, she did not know. Nor did she care. She continued to trail up the staircase, being pulled along as though by a string. She couldn't turn herself around even if she wanted to. Her feet lead her to a room, her eyes now adjusted slightly to darkness. She looked inside.

The room reminded her of a dark princess' den, the walls draped with ruby red tapestries and cloth. A fire burned in a white marble place that stuck within the wall, the orange light flickering against the figure that was in it. It was a slender young woman, laying suggestively along a crimson, silken bed. She wore a slightly mid-evil style gown, her shoulders and swan like neck exposed. Her hair was cropped short, resting near her earlobes. Her skin was a smooth, white ivory, her eyes dark and beautiful. A smile curled from her red lips. She smoothly moved to the floor, standing up straight now. She stretched out one of her graceful arms, her hand held out to Bella.

"What an innocent child..." she said, her voice like the silk that covered her bed. "Are you lost, my dear...? Come to me, love... Alice will help you find your way... You sweet, poor little thing..."

As though her fingers pulled on her body, Bella gravitated towards this woman, her eyes locked on Alice's angelic face. It wasn't long before she stood just inches away from her. She was memorized – unable to tare her gaze away from such a being. Like a moth to the flame. Alice glided slowly around her, surveying Bella's features. She could feel Alice's eyes move up and down her body. Slowly, the sense of warning grew stronger within Bella, and she whimpered, swaying where she stood. She felt thin arms take hold of her.

"Oh shh, shh..." Alice sat the two down on her bed, her hand stroking Bella's hair tenderly. "Calm now, child... There is no need to fret..." Alice tilted Bella's head upwards, her gaze still foggy as she looked upon this woman. Alice leaned in, placing her lips against Bella's cheek. How cold those lips were. "That's a good girl... so sweet... so innocent..." Alice let her lips trail down from Bella's cheek... to her jaw... to her neck... "Now... be a good girl and let me drink from you..."

"Alice!"

Suddenly, Bella felt the fondling woman rip away from the girl, and a different pair of arms drew her in. Bella's mind began to clear, a scent filling her senses. She recognized this smell... it was Edward's. She looked up to see Edward's furious face, the fire light trickling against his skin. She turned her eyes to where the gorgeous woman was, only to find her different now.

Instead of the willow like, angelic figure that she saw before, Alice's form and face was much more similar to Edward's. Gaunt and sullen, Alice's face had a very angular form to it, her cheek bones and chin pointed. Her shoulders, which were once so smooth, were now bony, her shoulders pointing through the skin. Her lips curled into a much more sinister smile. "Sorry," she said, her voice the same. "I couldn't help myself."

"Well try next time," Edward spat, still keeping Bella close to him. He turned and walked her out, Bella confused and ashamed at the same time. Edward grumbled to himself as they slipped down to the bottom of the stairs. "I'm sorry," he said. "I forgot she'd try to do that. Are you ok?" Bella nodded, wordlessly.

"Who was she...?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"My sister," said Edward. "One of them. Alice... she was a nomad that we found a while ago. Her dark gift's seduction, incase you can't tell."

"Seduction...?" She put a hand to her chest, looking back. She didn't realize that Edward had gripped her other hand yet again.

"Yeah," he said, continuing to walk. "Men, women, boys, girls... She doesn't care. She loves the game." Bella gripped his hand tighter and walked even closer to him.

"Is Carlisle in his study?" Bella asked quietly, wanting to change the subject. Edward shrugged.

"Wouldn't know," he said with a sigh. "I was half way there when I realized that we stopped right in front of Alice's room." They headed up a second flight of stairs, when Edward paused. "I smell sweat... Emmet must be working out... He's my older brother..." He turned a corner and peeked into a room. Bella did as well.

Emmet was much different then the first few vampires Bella had come to meet. As apposed to his brother and sister, Emmet was a tall, burly young man, with thick, tree trunk arms and short cut, brown hair. He stood in the room, his fists punching at nothing. They were moving so fast, Bella could barely register them. "He used to be a professional boxer," said Edward. "He was supposed to be the next best thing in 1954. Rosalie fell for him after I convinced her to come with me to one of his matches. We were in Chicago at the time. Anyway, he developed a thing for her, too, and he started giving us back stage access. Unfortunately, he was in a car accident that made him paralyzed from the waist down. He told Rosalie that he'd give anything to just walk again. So... here we are."

"My ears are burning, Eddie." Emmet's voice matched his outer appearance – strong and lion like. He turned his head, his eyes sunken like the others'. He smiled charmingly, pausing to wipe his forehead. "Who's the snack?" he asked, gesturing to Bella.

"This is the girl I saved," Edward explained. Emmet's eyes brightened playfully.

"Ooooh..." he said, realization coming to his face. "So you're the trouble maker, eh?" He laughed at Bella's uneasy smile. "Ah, don't worry. We all know Edward's a little impulsive."

"If not a bit reckless." They turned as a hand came to Emmet's shoulder. The young woman who stood beside him once more looked exceedingly different then the prior vampires. She was well rounded and curved, with blond hair that shot down to her lower back. It curled around her ivy face, her dark eyes burned into her skin above familiar circles. She was a head shorter them Emmet, the two making an attractive pair. She turned her eyes to Bella and surveyed her. Bella felt as though she was under the same judgmental eye that Edward first had the day they met. But whatever Rosalie's thoughts, she didn't voice them. Instead, she turned her gaze back to Edward. "Even so, we had no idea he'd be this irresponsible _now_ of all times."

"Ugh, here we go..." Edward mumbled, rubbing his eyes in his irritated habit.

"I mean, it's bad enough that nomads have shown up," Rosalie continued, "but you know how big of a risk Carlisle's taking by letting you go to that human school. We might have to move because of you. You're endangering everyone in this family."

"What was I supposed to do?" said Edward, frowning. "Let her blood spill on the floor? Oh yeah, that's a great idea. Then the entire school could watch as I ran forward to lap it up like a dog."

Rosalie looked as though she wanted to say something else, but was stopped by Emmet's large hand on her shoulder. "Give it a rest, Rosie. You know Eddie's got a head thicker then cement." She sighed and folded her arms across her large bosom.

"Just try to be more careful," she said, in a slightly more pleading tone. "I don't want any more trouble for Carlisle... You know how the natives are treating him now." Edward nodded.

"I know, I know... I'll try, Rosalie. Now stop nagging me." He turned and lead Bella down the hallway once more. The girl glanced behind her in curiosity, before looking to Edward.

"What's Rosalie's story?" she asked, having been told about Emmet and Alice already.

Edward shrugged. "Carlisle just came home one day with a new member of the family. She still won't tell any of us how it happened."

Bella nodded. "Oh..." Rosalie seemed to be the type of person who valued secrecy above all else. She seemed to be a perfect fit into this secret family of vampires... That's when Bella remembered something else. "Don't you have four siblings?" She looked up to Edward. He began to look a bit uneasy.

"Oh yeah... Jasper, you mean. He usually keeps to himself. We shouldn't see him today." However, as they rounded a corner, Bella jumped out of her skin as a face popped out of nowhere, staring at them. The appearance of the figure didn't seem to phase Edward in the slightest. "Oh. Jasper. So you did decide to come out today."

Jasper – like Laurent – seemed to have once been black, but the lack of pigments left him an ashy gray. His hair was mucked and disheveled, sticking wildly from his hair. He was thin enough to be considered stick worthy, his face highlighting each and every bone in it. His clothes were far too big for him, and he wore no shoes. He hunched slightly, the whites of his eyes peering through his gray face. He didn't speak. Instead, he looked over to Bella, and backed away a couple of steps. Edward sighed.

"She's fine, Jasper. She's only going to be here for a little bit." His eyes darted to Edward. "Yes, I promise." He stared at Edward a bit longer, before shoving his hands into his pockets, turning, and stalking off down the hall. Edward scratched his head. "Sorry about that," he began. "Jasper... isn't very trusting of strangers. Especially white ones..."

"White?" Bella repeated.

"He was a slave just before the civil war," said Edward. "He escaped once only to be found by three female vampires. He said he'd trade anything for freedom." He turned to her. "You see, the only way a human can become a vampire is if they give their blood willingly. They may not always know what they're asking for, but they ask, none the less. We found him wandering across the country twenty years back. He's still uneasy of white women, so Carlisle had to convince him to stay."

"He seems to be a generous man," Bella commented. She tapped a finger to her jaw. "Edward... what's your story?" She turned back to him.

Edward paused before continuing on. "My parents were killed by nomads. They would have killed me, too, but I was too stubborn to die. When Carlisle found me, I was only half alive and half sane. He knew I was going to die either way. So he asked me if I wanted to live. I said yes." There was a pause. "A while later, I asked him why he didn't just let me die after that... And he said, anyone who chooses life deserves to live it." He smiled at her. "Sounds like a fortune cookie, doesn't it?"

"Now now, Edward," came a calm, motherly voice. "You know Carlisle's a wise man." They looked up to see a woman smiling at the two of them. She was a small, delicate looking thing, her thin body proportionate to the rest of her. Her light brown hair was pulled up into a bun, and her face – though the sullen face of a vampire – had a warm, caring glow to its features. "I assume this is her?" She glided over to Bella, her cold hands resting on Bella's cheeks. "Such a young girl... You can call me Esme, alright dear?" Bella nodded and Esme sighed. She looked to Edward. "He's waiting in his study... Prepare yourself for a tongue lashing, Edward..."

"I know," said Edward with a frown. "But I couldn't have just let her die, mom..."

Esme put on a gentle smile, a few wrinkles showing in her face. "Yes. I know, honey." She kissed his cheek and patted his shoulder. She then smiled to Bella and left the two alone. Bella watched her go and turned back to Edward. Before she could even ask, he answered.

"Carlisle fell in love with Esme when she was still human," he said, watching his mother leave. "But she was married. Had a child, too. So he watched from afar, torturing himself with something he couldn't have. But one day, her child became very sick. He cared for the little girl as much as she could, but medicine wasn't as advanced back then. She ended up dying. Esme nearly went insane after that. She jumped off a cliff to try and end her suffering, but she didn't die. Carlisle found her and offered her a life free from guilt. She accepted the offer..." He turned to Bella, who looked at him, distraught at such a story.

"That must have been terrible," she said sincerely. And Esme had such a youthful face. How old was she when she almost died? Or when she even had her child? And she seemed like such a kind woman...

"Edward," came a voice. "Bring her in."

The voice was sharp and held authority, coming from the even tone of a man in charge. It seemed to come from nowhere, but soon Bella recognized the voice floating from behind an open door. Taking Edward's hand, the two walked in. Bella's eyes fell over a man who sat in an a comfortable looking, red chair. He wore all white, and popped out of the chair in an alarming contrast. His pale, blond hair was slicked and sat atop his head, his eyes the only dark thing about him. He wore reading glasses, looking at a piece of paper. He waited until the two of them were in before taking them off and standing. He towered over the two of them, both in height and grandeur. The air with which he held himself was that of a king's. He looked to Edward. "Do you have an explanation?"

Edward looked at the floor, hand still attached to Bella's. "No sir," he mumbled.

"Speak up," Carlisle snapped. "Lift your head. There's no use moping." Edward did so, but didn't look Carlisle in the eye. "Now. Do you have an explanation?"

"No sir," said Edward, more clearly this time. "I... it's just that she would have died otherwise, sir."

"Yes, you told me that before." He turned his sharp eyes over to Bella, making her cringe and squeeze Edward's hands tighter. "Have you told anyone of our secret?" Bella fumbled with her words, unable to really call her voice at the moment. Carlisle waited, unimpressed with her bumbling. Finally, she cleared her throat.

"N-no... no, sir. Not a soul. Um... sir..." She shifted from one foot to the next, unable to break away from Carlisle's astounding stare. "Really. I haven't told anyone. And I don't plan to... sir." Carlisle narrowed his eyes, before turning away.

"Well at least you're telling the truth." He pulled out a book and flipped through its yellowing pages. He turned back to her. "I cannot exaggerate to you the gravity of this situation, Miss Swan." He put on his reading glasses and offered them seats as well. They sat down, watching as he fingered through a few pages. "Though I suppose the best place to start would be the beginning, wouldn't it? You are aware of Quileute history, are you not?" He turned the book to show her a black and white picture of the Native Americans.

Bella nodded. "I know one, actually. His name's Jacob Black and – "

"Yes, we know all about that," Carlisle cut off. Bella shut her mouth and watched as he turned a couple more pages. "And are you aware what they did to European travelers who came to their lands?"

Bella felt her stomach tie in knots. "Oh... yeah, I think... They took them as slaves, right?" Carlisle's eyes lifted from the page.

"Indeed," he said smoothly. He looked back to the page. "I was a young man of 24 when I arrived at the new world. I was traveling on a British ship, ready to explore the wonders of what would await me, as I've heard everyone said. However, almost the minute we stepped on land, we were taken as property."

"You were a Quileute slave...?" said Bella, intrigued. "But... then you'd have to be – "

"Three hundred years old?" Carlisle finished. "Yes. Well, technically I'm two hundred and sixty four. Not counting my human life before it." He leaned back in his arm chair, still looking at the book. "I was enslaved for just a few months before nomads showed up. The Quileutes called them the 'white demon'. I knew of these creatures from my life in England. They were vampires – the same as the monsters who migrated from Transylvania to the other countries. It was then that I was faced with a decision. I had monsters on one side of me, and monsters on the left. The only difference was, I knew one better then the other. So one night, I escaped my binds in search of the nomads. I knew the Quileutes would come looking for me, so I needed to be quick about things. They spoke English, much to my relief, and agreed to help... On the condition that I joined them." He looked to Bella. "I accepted. After being free of both the tribe and my humanly self, I traveled with them for quite some time. However, their ways were barbaric. It made myself sick to truly realize that this was what I had succumbed to. So, I was able to break off from the others – but not before getting quite the beating for my betrayal. Soon, I was on my own. It was difficult, but I survived. Some how, I wound up back where I started – at the Quileute tribe. That's when we made a pact. If I abstained from eating their people and protected them from nomads, I'd be able to stay in peace near the mountains without fear of exposure to humans." He leaned in, setting the book aside and taking off his glasses. "It is no longer about me," he said lowly. "I now have my family to think about. We haven't dealt with hostile nomads in a long time. If things go awry, then it decides the fate of all of us. Do you understand now, Miss Swan?"

Bella stared at him, her lips parted. Slowly, she nodded, glued to her seat as though it were a lifeline. Carlisle's speech hit her like a ton of bricks, weighing her down with responsibility. He stood and put the book away. "It is possible that you can coexist peacefully with us," he continued. "But for now... I'm afraid Edward cannot attend school until this is over."

"What?!" Edward shot up to his feet, staring at him in ernest. "What do you mean...? You said I could! Please, Father! Don't take me out of school!"

"Being in the public eye will not help our chances," said Carlisle firmly, turning to his "son". "The farther you are away from humans, the better. Once the nomads are gone, you can resume school."

"This isn't fair!" said Edward. "I've been controlling myself for months now! Please let me stay!"

"That is my final word," said Carlisle, his voice raising dangerously. There was a silence, and Edward looked away. "No then. Be so kind as to take Miss Swan home, please. It's still rather dark out." He signaled for them to leave, and Bella stood, Edward once more taking her hand and leading her out of the house in a fit. He grumbled to himself, stomping out and slamming the door behind him. He then turned and shrieked at the house, his fangs bared in anger. Bella backed off, covering her ears at the sound. Edward panted then, unaware that she was even watching him. He looked to the side and kicked a tree, knocking it to the ground.

"I hate you!" he screamed at the house. Bella jumped, pressing herself to the tree and staring at him. This was scaring him more then the night he fed. After seething a little longer, Edward calmed and turned his eyes to hers. He sighed and walked over, head low. "Sorry," he apologized. "I'm just angry..." Bella didn't move. Edward looked away and knelt down. "I'll take you home." Slowly, Bella got onto his back, and he once more thrust upward, hopping from tree top to tree top until he landed in front of Bella's house. Shakily, she slipped down, glad she kept her footing this time. She looked at him timidly.

"Why do you want to be in school so much...?" she asked, careful about what she said. He paused and looked at her for a minute, before turning away.

"It's a long story," he said simply. There was a silence between the two. Edward turned back to her. "Do you want me to walk you in?" Bella looked to the house and sighed.

"Yeah... ok..." Her eyes then lingered to the driveway. A frown came to her face. "Charlie's not home..." Indeed, the police cruiser was no where to be found. Bella didn't like that. Especially because it was getting particularly late. They walked up to the porch and Bella once more allowed him inside. She looked around for any note, but none were in sight. He didn't even stop by to grab some left over dinner... Maybe he had gone to a diner? Probably... This was starting to worry Bella... The phone rang, causing her to jump. She was still jittery from the meeting with the Cullens. She rushed to the phone, hoping it was Charlie on the other line. But instead, it was Steve – one of Charlie's deputies.

"_Bella? Hey... did I wake ya?_"

"No," said Bella quickly. "No, you didn't. How's dad?" A sigh came out of the other line.

"_In the hospital... He's been attacked by somethin'._"

"By what...?" Bella's heart pounded in her chest. Though she already knew the answer. "Steve... Steve, listen... When you found Dad, was he wearing a cross?" The deputy was confused. "Was my dad wearing a crucifix at all? Around his neck?! Please tell me if he was!" She leaned forward on the counter and stopped, feeling something beneath her palm. Lifting her hand and looking down, the phone slipped from her palm.

The golden cross was laying there beneath her hand.

Hm. longest chapter so far I think. Get those reviews in! Whatd'ja think of the new Cullens?

~T.


	11. Friends and Foes

Yes, I made Alice different and Jasper black. This is a rewrite for a reason. Though I'm glad that everyone is liking this so far. Sixty eight reviews and only two flames. I think that's a record or something lol.

**Eleven: Friends and Foes**

**I**t was nearly two in the morning before Bella was allowed to see her father. In the hours that passed, she paced the lobby, the cross clutched within her palms. Edward came with her, watching as she nervously made circles around the room. When she wasn't walking back and forth, she was glued to her chair, staring at the floor intensely, hoping it would give her some form of comfort. This was her fault, she knew it. If she had told him of the dangers... if she made him swear to wear the crucifix more then just one night... Maybe this could have been prevented. Edward didn't speak to her. She supposed he thought it would only make things worse. He did, however, bring her hot chocolate once. She didn't drink it, though she was thankful of his consideration. When she finally was let in to see Charlie, she rushed from her spot into the hospital room. What a pitiful sight her father made.

Half of his face and neck were bandaged with gauze, his arm in a sling. He was asleep, a tube helping him to breathe. A heart monitor sat beside him, giving a paced, rhythmic beat. His leg had been broken and was cradled by a hanging strap. Bella weakly made her way to her unconscious father, dropping to the seat beside him. She moved her hands forward and gently took his own, amazed that she was not reduced to tears. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Edward keep a respectful distance. Bella shook her head, putting her father's hand to her cheek.

"This is all my fault," she said softly. "I should have... I should have done something..." Edward was silent, keeping his stone like eyes on the pair. It got to a point where it was disturbingly creepy. Bella looked up to him, hoping he would stop looking at her like that. "What...?"

"You weren't wearing your cross."

Bella blinked. "Oh..." She looked at the trinket in her hand. "Yeah... I gave it to him to try and protect him..." She looked back to her father, guilt trailing her insides. "Not like it helped..."

"You weren't wearing it," Edward repeated. Bella looked to him, cringing slightly beneath his glower. "After I told you not to take it off, you did so deliberately. Even when you knew you were going into a house filled with vampires, you still didn't wear it..."

"I didn't know I'd be going to your house..." Bella defended softly.

"That's no excuse!" Edward hissed. "I told you not to take it off, didn't I?"

"He needed it more then I did..."

"Did I or did I not tell you to keep it on," Edward pressed, moving closer. Bella cast her eyes down to the floor.

"You did," she said weakly. She didn't want to here his badgering about something that shouldn't matter at the moment.

"So why did you take it off?" Edward demanded. Bella looked up at him, starting to become angry.

"He needed it more then I did..." she began, amazed that he would even ask something like that.

"Fat lot of good it did him," Edward snapped coldly. Bella stood at that, her face flushed with anger at the boy.

"I didn't know he'd take it off!" she defended, her guilt seeping from her tone. "I gave it to him the night I was in the hospital... He promised he'd wear it!"

"But he didn't!" Edward retorted. "It would have been best if you just kept the damned thing! Alice could have killed you! Or worse, convinced you into letting yourself be turned! Is that what you want, Bella? You want to be a soulless demon for the rest of your damn life?!"

"Stop it!" Bella argued, gripping her arms. "Just stop it, Edward!"

"No! You need to hear this!" He marched up to her and took her arms. "You need to focus on protecting yourself, do you understand?" He leaned in, his tone lowering and becoming more earnest. "Please... please just focus on protecting yourself from now on. These nomads know that you're connected with me. You're going to be facing some dangerous situations up ahead. You have to think about _you_, understand? And if anyone else gets hurt because they're not smart enough to prevent it, that's their fault."

Bella stared at him in utter disbelief at his crass statement. Her father was laying in a hospital bed, barely alive, and he shoved it away as though it was Charlie's fault? Slowly, Bella slipped away from Edward's grasp, which he could have held with ease but didn't. Her face hardened, the usual meek tenor in attitude now gone. She pointed to the door.

"Get out," she said firmly.

Edward's face took on a look of astonishment. He blinked several times, his lips parted. "What do you mean, 'get out'?" he began. His eyes narrowed and his lips twisted into a scowl, his fangs bared. "All I'm doing is telling you the truth. Nomads like these won't go easy on you if you're being gallant. They'll rip you to pieces if they get the chance. They'll suck you dry; make you their plaything. They won't stop until you're dead, don't you get it!? You can't protect everyone! Only yourself!"

"I said get out," she repeated, a hard look in her eye. Edward snarled and paced, having a hard time controlling his anger. He then leaned in close to her, attempting to intimidate the girl. She did not flinch or draw back, staring him down stubbornly.

"I don't know why I even tried," he hissed. He turned on his heal and stormed off, slamming the door as he went. Bella let out a low breath, the tension leaving the room with the vampire. Bella sat back where she was on Charlie's bedside, taking up his hand. She looked at the cross in her other palm. They probably wouldn't attack Charlie again. It wouldn't be any fun for them now. So, instead of putting it around his neck, she put it around her own. She then sat there, staring at her father, refusing to move until he woke up...

She wasn't quite sure how or when she fell asleep, but the next thing she knew, she was being gently shaken awake. Her name was called by a familiar voice. She blinked, grogginess trying to sway her back to sleep, but she sat up anyway. When her eyes focused, she saw the faces of Jessica, Mike, Tyler, Anglia and Eric all smiling at her.

"We heard about what happened," said Anglia sympathetically, putting a small vase of flowers on the bedside table. Interesting to hear her talk first.

"Hell, the whole town knows," said Mike. However, he was promptly shut up by Tyler, who elbowed his ribs. He rubbed them and frowned at the boy, who only gave him a pointed look.

Jessica shook her head. "Anyway, we came by to show our support." She hugged Bella, who smiled thankfully and hugged her back.

"I really appreciate this," she said to them. "I was so scared when I got the call... I thought he'd be dead by the time I got here..." She looked over to Charlie. "He still hasn't woken up yet." Jessica hugged her shoulders.

"He'll come around," she promised.

"And we'll bring your school work for you for as long as you stay here," said Tyler, handing her a bag of a couple fresh note books. "So don't worry about missing anything."

Bella took the bag, her heart swelling. Two weeks and she already had the kind of friends who would go out of their way to make sure she was supported. She hadn't met any group of people that were so thoughtful to her. She held the bag to her chest, happy tears welling in her eyes. She looked at their faces. "Thank you..." she said softly. "I... thank you all so much..." She put a hand to her face, her lip quivering. She felt like she didn't deserve all of this kindness. What had she done for them other then invite a blood sucker to a snowball fight? Just as she looked ready to loose it, they crowded around her, hugging her in a group. She laughed outright at herself, wrapping her thin arms around as many bodies as she could. They all assured her that they'd be there for her, no matter what. She thanked them profusely, unable to do it enough. In such an unsure and scary time for her, having these new friends in her life was like a blessing.

"Knock, knock," came another familiar voice. They all turned to see Jacob Black standing at the door way, smiling at them. A few noticed him from a group visit from when Bella was in the hospital just twenty four hours previous. He walked in with a charming smile on his face. "You guys are cursed, I swear. First you and now him."

Bella smiled weakly, wiping her eyes. "I know... we're terrible." After a light and uplifting visit from the group, they all broke off, soon leaving Jacob and Bella the only ones awake in the room. He waited until they were all out of ear shot before sitting by Bella and taking her hands.

"Did you see what happened?" he asked urgently. Bella shook her head. "But you know..." She nodded.

"I gave him my cross... to wear." She sniffed and wiped her face. "He only wore it one night I guess..." She looked to him weakly. "Do... do you think if I told him about the nomads...?"

"No," said Jacob instantly. "It's best if he doesn't know. But I promise they'll be caught for doing this to him." He sighed. "I don't know if they'll leave or not... but be on your look out until we know for sure they're gone, all right?" He folded his arms, frowning at the floor. "This whole thing stinks of the Cullens," he seethed. "And if they find out that you and Edward have any connection... even if you simply know who he is, they might come after you."

Bella remained silent, fear curling up inside her. She nodded. "I'll be careful." She clutched her crucifix and Jacob smiled at her.

"You look like hell," he commented lightly. "You want me to drive you home so you can take a shower and change your clothes?"

Bella looked outside. It was nearing sunset. Even so, the hospital wasn't that far away from home. "No," she said, standing. "I'd rather if you watch my dad for me, ok? I'll be coming right back in my truck with some extra clothes, anyway."

Jacob frowned. "I don't think you should head out alone..." he remarked, standing as she stood.

Bella smiled at him. "Don't worry. I have this, remember?" She tapped her cross. "I won't be long ok?" She hugged him and placed a light kiss on his cheek, before heading out of the room. "Just keep an eye on him for me!" she called. "And tell me if he wakes up!" After that, she left the hospital, the cold wind waking her up. It was a pretty clear day outside. It wouldn't be likely that they'd come out like Edward did, anyway. There was hardly a cloud in the sky. She walked home without anything stopping her, glad to be in her house by the time the sun set. She took a good, quick shower and changed, putting a few spare clothes into an over night bag. She'd stay as long as her father was in the hospital. After that, she looked out. It was dusk now, but she was sure she'd be fine. She'd be in the truck, anyway. So, she hurried downstairs and made sure her cross was secure around her neck, before heading outside. She froze on the porch.

Laying atop her truck, tapping on the roof, was Victoria. She smiled, watching her own fingers loftily, her bushy hair frizzed around her face and neck. "Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor..." Her sharp eyes trailed up to her, a sly grin curling about her lips. "Our wrath punishes all without distinction..." She turned herself and hopped down to the snow lightly, barely making a sound when her feet hit the ground. Bella began to ease back, moving to her house and clutching her crucifix. Vampires couldn't come into a house without being invited in, right?

"That little trinket won't help you as much as you think it will." Bella jumped as the french voice of Laurent breathed behind her. She scuttled back to the steps and looked between the two, her head pulsating loudly. They both smiled at her wickedly, their fangs bared. In a rush, she turned and ran to the other side of her trucked, but pulled back and wound up falling as James popped out of nowhere, standing just in front of her door. The others laughed at her fear as she struggled to get back up again. James leaned forward, smelling her hair. She shivered and tried to pull back, but the fact that she was petrified didn't let her move.

"She smells like them..." he growled, his white teeth close to her face. He pulled back and looked to the other two, who were closing in. Bella felt a finger trail her lower back and she turned to watch Laurent circle her.

"What is your connection with the Cullens...?" Bella remained silent. "Come now... no use trying to hide it... You were with one of them that day..."

"Not to mention you wreak of them," Victoria purred, absolutely loving the way Bella was reacting. She only gripped it tighter.

"Stay away from me..." she warned, in a much smaller voice then she had hoped for.

Victoria cackled. "Or _what_, you pitiful little human?" She leaned forward, grabbing Bella's chin roughly. She had an iron clad grip, and Bella feared that she would try and break her jaw. "What can you do, hm? What could you _possibly_ do to defend yourself against the likes of us..." She stopped suddenly when James put a hand on her shoulder.

"Wolf."

The others turned to see a black truck heading in their direction. Jacob parked the truck and stepped out, his hand clutched to his side. His eyes flashed a bright looking silver. "Let her go." His voice was low and prickled, his walk much different then what Bella was used to seeing. And he smelled different too... The vampires could detect it much sharper then she could, she was sure, but it was defiantly there. It was something... primal. James growled at him, but didn't advance as Laurent stepped in between the two of them.

"We have no problem with you, wolf," he said bluntly. "Our problem is with the Cullens."

"Then it's also with us," Jacob insisted. "My people and the Cullens have a peaceful pact. You're violating that."

While the two parties argued, Bella kept her eyes on Victoria's hand. It went from her face to her shoulder. All eyes were on Jacob, and she guessed that they couldn't read minds, or else they wouldn't ask questions. So, in a quick motion, Bella pressed her cross onto Victoria's skin. It sizzled and charred her hand, causing her to scream out in anguish. While they were distracted, Bella ran out from behind them and threw herself at Jacob, who pulled her aside and stood in front of her. She gripped his shirt, shaking against him. Victoria screeched at her, clutching her wounded hand. "You bitch!" she yelled, her eyes glaring at the human. However, they didn't advance because of Jacob. Laurent straightened up as Victoria swore under her breath.

"Don't think this is over, Isabella Swan," he said smoothly. "Yes, we know who you are. You're treading very dangerous waters. Get in our way, and we'll destroy you..."

"Get any closer to her, and you'll have an entire hoard of shifters on your doorstep," Jacob threatened. Laurent sneered at him and turned to the others. With a nod, they left, leaping into the air and disappearing into the new night that fell on Forks. Jacob turned to her. "You ok?" She nodded, hand on her forehead. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm guessing you've figured out what I am...?" She smiled a bit.

"It's not like you hid it all that well..." He laughed at that.

"No... I guess not." He hugged her tightly. "Come on. I'll take you back to the hospital." He took her into his truck and they drove back to where her father lay, waiting. Bella leaned on the window, staring to the snow.

"I don't want anyone to be hurt..." she said softly. Jacob gripped her hand and she looked to him.

"Don't worry," he said softly. "You have me. And my father will be talking to Carlisle tonight. Things'll be straightened out, and soon those nomads will be gone for good."

Bella nodded. "I certainly hope so..." She looked back out to the snow, sighing.

This was going to be a long winter.

Well, you know what to do. Leave those sweet reviews!

~T.


	12. At the Ice Hole

XD you know... it's really very funny sometimes. I don't mean to sound like a snooty bitch, but it is called a "rewrite" for a reason. Things _are_ going to be considerably different, you know. Anyway, I had a hard time figuring out how to start this chapter off. So I figured I'd wing it.

**Twelve: At the Ice Hole**

**T**he silence that followed Charlie's attack was a shock, to say the least. Bella would have thought that the nomads would have tried a few more times to kill her, or at least someone else. Then again, Jacob did elect himself to keep a watch on her and Charlie, who finally woke up after the third day of being in a slight coma. She staid at the hospital as much as she could, but Charlie's nagging at her to go to school finally took its toll. So, grudgingly that Sunday night – after being out of school for almost two weeks – she was escorted home by Jacob in his black truck and told to get a good nights sleep. She was also told to lock her doors and windows; though it was true that a vampire could not enter a dwelling unless invited in, it was fairly possible that a human under the control of said vampire could enter a room or house without so much as a blister. The meeting between Carlisle Cullen and Billy Black appeared to go over well, despite the tense temperaments of the two after meeting. It seemed as though the nomads may have moved on. Bella almost didn't believe it at first. The hate of the Cullens and their new found anger at Bella couldn't have died so easily. Carlisle must have felt the same, for Edward still had not returned to school.

Bella was used to the spontaneous disappearances by her lab partner by now. The days he didn't come to school probably had something to do with the fact that those days had a good amount of sunlight attached to them. It was odd, however, to come into biology to an empty desk. The vanishing act of the vampire had a much different feel to it now that Bella knew the entire story. She wished she could have done something to help the situation. Edward seemed terribly broken up about it when Carlisle told him he couldn't go to school anymore. Then again... why was she worrying about him? Or even bothering to think about him? It was obvious by the way he acted the night Charlie became injured that he was naturally a pushy, pig headed creep. She looked out the window, barely paying any attention to what Mr. Tesler was saying. Instead, she reassessed that night. True, what he said was insensitive, but he seemed genuinely worried about her. Perhaps she shouldn't have been so harsh? She rubbed her tired eyes and looked back up to the teacher, scribbling a few notes down. The mundane week passed without much a du, except that Charlie was soon allowed to go home that Friday afternoon. She spent that entire weekend making sure he was alright. Part of it was out of love for her father, the other part had sprung from her own guilt. It got to a point to where Charlie actually offered her money to just leave him alone for a few minutes. His intentions weren't ill at heart, but in fact, just the opposite. He was worried that Bella was spending too much time and effort on his behalf, and he in turn was feeling guilty.

It was amazing just how alike those two were.

Bella had awoken that Monday morning to the bright snow outside her window. It caked the panes on her glass, a thick layer down below on the ground. Looking out, she couldn't even make out the road, her hand leaving a fading print as she pulled away. She got dressed and went downstairs to the static of the radio. Charlie had pulled himself out of bed and gotten into the kitchen before Bella could aid him in any way she thought to. Charlie smiled at her, his crutches leaning against the back of his chair.

"Mornin'," he said brightly. "Hope you don't plan to go to school today." He leaned over and tilted the antenna of his radio a bit. It was old, and Bella wasn't sure why he even still had the thing.

"Why?" Bella asked curiously. "Do you need some help with something?" She stopped, however, when the announcer on the radio declared that schools had been closed because of the snow. Charlie turned off the radio, laughing a bit and standing on his crutches, moving about the kitchen to get himself something to eat. "Oh..." Bella watched her father and walked over, pulling a box of cereal from the cupboard, which he had been reaching for. "You seem happy about it."

Charlie shrugged. "Maybe it'll give your friends an excuse to kidnap you for a day," he said, smiling. Bella cocked an eyebrow as she poured two bowls for the both of them.

"You didn't put an idea in someone's head, did you?" she asked, walking to the fridge and grabbing some milk.

"Possibly," said her father with a happy face. "You've been so busy with me... I think I can survive if you go out and have some well deserved fun."

Bella smiled up at him and poured the milk into both cereal bowls before returning it to the fridge. "Right. And what exactly would this fun include?"

"Dunno," Charlie admitted as Bella put the bowls on the table. He hobbled his way to the table and sat, putting his crutches to the side. "I just talked to Mrs. Newton. Mike's mom? I happened to mention that you were becoming an old woman too fast, so I figure word got around to your friends. They should be calling in a little bit with something to do."

Bella laughed at that as she got the two of them spoons. "I'm an old woman? Oh gee, thanks a lot, Dad."

"I meant it in the best possible way." Bella kissed her father's head before sitting down and eating. Their conversation was light for the most part, the both of them enjoying one another's company. After everything that had happened, after the attack and the fear and the uncertainty, the two still managed to return to normalcy. Their smiles became familiar, and their jokes were once more easy. Just like the relief she felt when her friends had come to visit, Bella felt secure, she and her father back to their comfortable ways. Sure enough, once Bella had started to clear off the dishes, she got a phone call, and was told to dress warmly by Mike. She did so, and was soon whisked away by her friends.

Bella sat in the back of Tyler's van, her head resting up against the glass as she watched the others talk loudly over one another. It was funny to see the way they all tried to out talk each other, laughing through the entire process. Bella wasn't quite sure where they were going, but in truth, she was glad that she was getting to stretch her legs a bit. That, and the fact that Jacob requested that he stay and watch Charlie while she was out to give her some peace of mind. She closed her eyes for a bit, the cool window of the van clearing her muddled thoughts. Finally, the van stopped, Tyler announcing that they had arrived. Jessica smiled at Bella.

"I'm guessing you don't ice skate?" she inquired. "You know... not much of that going on in Arizona."

"Ice skate?" Bella repeated, her insides squirming. Her on a slab of ice wearing nothing but sharp, deadly blades to keep her balance. Oh yes. That sounded absolutely wonderful. She looked wryly out to the small lake that was frozen over due to the cold. It was a small lake, to say the least. Bella even doubted that it was on the Washington map. She had probably zoned out during the drive, as she saw no buildings or hints of a town anywhere near the lake. All around the ice sat pine trees, glistened over with frost. The snow bank that sat below was curved and soft, stretching along the ground and crawling up the base of trees. Bella looked back to Jessica, a possible excuse coming to mind. "I don't own a pair of skates," she said, in hopes she could just watch instead.

"We figured," came Mike's voice. He treaded over through the snow and handed her a pair of aged, white skates. The blades looked good enough, but the leather above it was worn, creases moving up and down the sides of the boot. "Here. They're your size, right?" Bella took them and nodded, seeing that they were a size nine. She looked to the ice.

"I'm going to fall on my face," she pointed out.

"Don't worry," said Jessica, taking her arm. "I'll help you, ok?" Bella sighed but nodded, sitting in the snow to put on her skates as the others did. Tyler and Mike got out there immediately, where as Angela took her time in gliding along the edges of the ice, Eric following and working on his turns. Once things were laced and in their proper position, Bella wobbled up to her feet, leaning on Jessica for the majority of her support. When they got on the ice, Bella's breath clutched within her, her feet scrambling this way and that. Jessica seemed to find this quite amusing, and laughed a bit at her expense. Finally though, she was able to stand on her own, though just barely. Jessica still got a hold on her arm, and slowly began to ease her onto the ice. Soon, she was able to move a little bit, unaided. But even during those times when she was on her own for the most part, she kept close to Jessica, just in case. For indeed, just as she predicted, she had fallen quite a few times during her learning process, her backside now numb from the cold that she kept dropping to. Jessica smiled proudly as she separated from her. "That's it!" she praised, easily moving around Bella. "Now you're getting things..." Jessica moved outward in front of Bella, going to the middle of the ice. The boys had since started up a high speed snow ball fight, chasing each other around the pond. Jessica stood in the middle, waiting for Bella to join her. She held out her mitt covered hands. "Come on!" she urged. "You can do it! Just push with the sides of your feet to go forward."

Bella stared at her unsteady shoes before looking back up to Jessica. She was about ten – maybe fifteen – feet away. It wasn't that much of a skate. Bella took a breath, praying she didn't fall, and gently pushed herself forward. She almost lost her balance a couple of times, but soon, she had inched herself to Jessica's side. Bella took on a bright smile. "I did it..." she said breathlessly, a bit of excitement in her voice. Jessica nodded.

"Now let's work on speed." She turned and moved forward, gliding along the ice and swerving a bit. She made a full circle and came back around to Bella in the middle of the lake. "Sound good?"

"Maybe we should take it one step at a time?" Bella asked weakly. Jessica laughed and took her arm.

"Ah, come on! Let's see what you're made of!" She moved forward, but suddenly fell over forward, as though she tripped on something. This caught Bella by surprise, not expecting Jessica to fall instead of her. She shook out her head and looked to her ice skate. The tip had jammed itself slightly into a bit of the ice. "Ah... caught a nick." She moved to get up, Bella helping her the best she could. "Thanks," she said kindly.

Just as she got up to her feet, she was yanked downward and into the ice, dark water splashing out from the opening along with a bubbling scream.

Bella dropped to her knees and peered in, yelling Jessica's name. Through the dim water, she could see the girl struggling, large froths of bubbles shooting from her mouth. She reached for the top of the water, eyes wide with terror. Almost as though she was being weighed down by something. Bella looked passed her and saw something near Jessica's foot. It was a pale face, dark eyes glaring intently at her. Jessica's movements began to slow as she was starting to be dragged down into the depths of the water. Without a second thought, Bella dove in after her. The cold water stabbed every inch of her body with a cruel intensity. Bella ignored it, forcing to keep her eyes open. She kicked frantically until she was down by Jessica's leg. The girl had stopped moving all together by this point. The water pressure squeezed her ear drums as she fought to go down further. She reached Jessica's pant leg and started pulling. She realized then that a white hand had grabbed her ankle. Bella looked down to who was holding her. Through he azure shadows of the dark waters, Bella could make out the twisted features of James, smirking as he held the girl underwater. Bella ripped off her cross and pushed it to his skin. It sizzled in the lake, but James refused to let go. His face twitched in pain, his body tensing. It was as though Bella was holding a cigarette to his hand, but he was too stubborn to submit. Finally, he released her and darted away, disappearing into the midst of the lake. Bella then grabbed the heavy form that was Jessica and started to swim up towards the hole. There was only two problems – Jessica was dead weight and Bella was loosing her breath.

Her lungs seemed to be caving in on her, her mind panicking. _Get to the surface! Get to the surface!_ was the only thought in her mind. The light that shown through the face of the water was like a strange, angelic ray, shimmering down from above. Welcoming her. She reached up, Jessica limply weighing down against her arm. It was useless... She'd never make it. Her vision began to blur as a bit of air escaped her lips. Her heart was the only thing she heard. It thumped slowly against her, her body starting to freeze over like the water top of the lake. However, she kept her conscious a little bit more, begging herself to stay awake.

A splash interrupted the water. Seemingly out of nowhere, Mike sored through the lake, in nothing but his undershirt and pants. He grabbed Jessica first and then offered a hand to Bella, who took it without question. She helped to kick until they reached the surface, the two of them gasping for breath. Through the steam of air that came to her, Bella saw as Mike dragged Jessica to the ice and felt for her breath. Tyler helped her up just as Mike began to give the girl CPR. He breathed into her and pushed on her chest, begging her to wake up in between actions. Bella, her mind returning to her, shivered and gripped her arms, pleading in her mind for the girl to awaken. Finally, after almost a half minute, Jessica sputtered, water spitting from her mouth. She gasped and coughed, shaking on the ice. Mike pulled her into a firm hug, thanking God. Bella shivered violently, her teeth chattering and her hair sticking to her face and neck. She felt Tyler's thick jacket drape around her shoulders and she thanked him.

Quickly, the three wet teens were escorted off the ice and into the back of Tyler's van, where the heat was turned up and they were given blankets. They also had to strip themselves of their wet clothes. Bella was a littler nervous and kept the blanket around herself for the most part. It didn't seem to bother the couple beside her. In fact, she doubted that they registered that she was even there. They snuggled together, sharing a blanket. Jessica looked up to him, sniffling and shaking against his body.

"Thank you," she said softly. "You saved my life, Mike..."

Mike kissed her a couple of times and let her tuck her head beneath his chin. He spotted Bella and smiled. "You know... Bella dove after you first." Jessica looked to the brunette, who smiled meekly, curled under her blanket.

"Really...?" She smiled, tears almost coming to her eyes. "Oh God... I can't thank you both enough." She sniffled and Mike held her closer. "But... I still can't understand what happened. One minute I was on the ice... the next I was under it..."

Bella looked to her bare feet, the skates laying beside them. What on earth could she say? Now more then ever, she was terrified of anyone finding out the truth about what went on in the background of Forks. "The ice must have been weak," she heard Mike suggest, Bella relaxing about the open ended question.

"But it looked so solid... I don't get it." She let her eyes close, resting into Mike's chest with a sigh. "It was weird... almost like someone was pulling me. I was scared..."

"Well it's all over now," said Mike kindly.

Bella smiled grimly at herself, looking away. Oh how wrong Mike was. If he only knew...

Tyler had called one of the deputies and told them what happened. He then drove them all back into town, the story of Mike and Bella's heroic rescue having spread like wild fire. Whey they arrived, they were given fresh clothes and looked over by a few medics on hand. However, none of them had gotten sick, and so all the focus was put on their adventure that afternoon. A small welcoming party had come to see them as they arrived, all crowded in the sheriff's office. A good portion of them were reporters and photographers for the local paper and the high school paper. Charlie had been picked up by Billy and Jacob, who had been visiting while Bella was at the lake. They all praised their bravery and called them heros. Mike seemed to wade in it, insisting with a bright smile that it was the right thing to do. Opposite of Mike, Bella felt uneasy every time someone asked a detail. She was running out of lies, and it was difficult to keep even the simplest story straight. Thankfully, Jacob caught on quick and told the questioners that Bella was too shook up to answer anything else. They and their fathers then escaped the office to head home, Charlie booming about how he would have to give Bella some sort of hero party.

"It's ok," said Bella quietly. "I don't really want a party..." Attracting attention to a large group of people that she cared about in one place... It was like advertising a meat whole sale.

"Why?" Charlie asked. "You deserve it, Bella. Jumping into the ice to save her like that."

"I just don't want one..." Bella looked to her feet and Jacob put an arm around her shoulder.

"Please, Mr. Swan," he told her father. "Bella's not feeling to well right now. She's really tired..."

"Right, right." After that, nothing else was said. When they got home, Jacob took her straight to her room. He shut the door and locked it, and then turned to her as she fell to her welcoming bed.

"What happened?" he pleaded. "Was it the nomads?"

Bella nodded, clinging to one of the pillows. "One of them anyway," she sighed. "James." She shuttered, the vision of his smirking face still in her mind. "He scares me more then the other two."

Jacob sat down beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Dad's going to have a cow," he said with a sigh. "I think he and the Dr. Cullen are going to have an open meeting this time."

"Open meeting?" Bella repeated, at a loss of what it might mean.

"He's going to require the entire Cullen clan be present," said Jacob, folding his arms. "And then he'll want me there... and Sam, maybe." He rubbed his neck. "And then... he'll probably ask for you too..."

"Me?" She sat up, pulling a pillow to her stomach. She was getting tired of this. It was like going back and forth between reality and a dream. She just wanted it all to go away. Jacob sighed.

"It's obvious that you've been turned into their target," said Jacob with a frown.

"But why...? What have I done to them?"

He shook his head. "Who knows? Nomads can choose their targets for any reason... But that's why you'll be needed at the open meeting. So we can figure this whole thing out and figure out why the Cullens aren't doing their damn jobs..."

Bella looked to her cross, which was once more hanging around her neck. She felt like it was the only peace of comfort she had. She clutched it and shuttered. Without thought, she leaned into Jacob, gripping him tightly. He did the same and the two sat there, his slow breathing softly coaxing Bella into a deep sleep.

And thus the plot thickens. You know, plot? The one that the first book lacks? Sorry, had to say it XD Review!

~T.


	13. The Meeting

Sorry this took me a little longer... school got in the way. And writer's block DX but I have to thank you for all the good reviews! Keep up the good work, and i'll keep up the posts!

**Thirteen: The Meeting**

**T**he anxiety felt by Bella the first time she was taken to the Cullens' domain was nothing compared to the utter petrifying fear that took hold of her as she, Billy and Jacob drove towards the home of the vampires. It wasn't the fact that she would be the only human present, or the fact that she would be seeing Edward again after such an unpleasant goodbye. Rather, the idea that the nomads' stay here was specifically her fault, and that she could be blamed for the creatures being there in the first place... That made her shutter with terror. She could only imagine the (at the least) uncomfortable meeting that she would have to endure. She knew Edward probably hated her now. Emmet and Rosalie might do the same simply by association of what their "brother" told them. Jasper already hated her, and Alice... well, she might try to eat her again. She was very glad that she was wearing her cross. What really frightened her, however, was Carlisle. The image of his stern, angry face flashed more then once in her mind. He had scared her enough the first time they met. And then, he was really only angry with Edward. She had no idea how he'd act if he was angry with her. She clutched her arms tightly, eyes glued onto the road in front of her. Noticing her tense demeanor, Jacob put a hand on her shoulder. Billy had insisted on driving, letting the two of them sitting in the back. Bella looked up to him.

"It's ok," he reassured her. "You don't have anything to worry about."

"But if the nomads are here because of me – "

"They're not," said Billy darkly. "They're here because they wanted to flaunt it in the Cullens' faces. The only reason they didn't kill them on sight was because Carlisle tries to be a pacifist."

Bella blinked. "Pacifist?" The stern faced, army Sargent of a vampire who stared at her with such piercing, sharp eyes strived to be a pacifist? If the situation wasn't so tense, she might have laughed.

"Hard to believe, huh?" said Billy with a chuckle. "He's only hard because he feels like he needs to be that way to protect his family. When my grandfather first got to know him, he said he was quite a nice man." He grunted. "Though I've never seen it..."

"What do you think of him?" Bella asked Jacob.

He shook his head. "Wouldn't know," he said honestly. "I've never been to one of these meetings before. Dad's letting me come along because I'm older now and I volunteered to protect you if you need it."

Bella blinked. "Oh... really?" What a kind gesture. Then again, if they had switched places, Bella would probably do the same. She smiled and nodded in thanks before looking out the window. Her fear was ebbed, though only slightly. She still felt wary of the whole thing. The drive up the dirt road was rough, and sometimes non existent. Bella had to grab onto her seat more then once to keep herself from hitting the sides or falling over, despite the seatbelt. Finally, the truck stopped and they all got out, standing in front of the house, waiting for them, were three figures. Two of them were Emmet and Rosalie, and the third was a native whom she recognized as Sam, Jacob's cousin. Emmet and Rosalie both were dressed in jackets, both hoods up to protect their faces from the setting sun. Where as Emmet had on a sweat shirt of neutral gray, a white ball cap beneath his hood, Rosalie wore a slightly more stylish jacket, white fur decorating the sides of the hood and the sleeves. Two white puff balls were attached at the end of the strings by her hood, dangling in front of her. They nodded shortly to her and looked to the other two, Sam joining up with Jacob and helping Billy into his chair. Sam was only a few years older then herself, but he had grown to be quite a burly man, his strong presence rivaled only by Emmet. On his neck, Bella noticed, was a tattoo of a grizzly print. No doubt, his personal god was a bear. Once Billy was situated, they all headed into the house. The cold, closed up space of the home was even more daunting then before, the chills riding up Bella's back and arms rapidly this time. She kept close to Jacob, staying away from the staircase that led to Alice's room. Finally, they were all lead into what seemed to be a living room type area, a few electric lamps the only light source that wasn't activated by wicks. Carlisle stood as proud as ever, hands behind his back. Where as the tiny Esme moved about, offering them seats on dark red couches. Jasper hung near the back, watching as Emmet and Rosalie took off their protective coats, Alice hovering off to the side. After counting in all the rest, her eyes then fell to the very last Cullen.

Edward stood in the very back of the living room, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. He stared, amendment, at the floor, as though it was incredibly interesting. His jaw was tight, his eyes focused on one spot. He refused to even blink, let alone look up to meet her gaze. However, Bella knew that he could sense her eyes.

"Sit," came the low voice of Carlisle. They did so, Bella scooting close to Jacob, who took her hand calmingly. Carlisle closed his eyes for a minute, collecting his thoughts. He sat on the opposite couch, and the others did so as well – save the three in the back. "So..." His eyes opened and landed on Bella's. "Is your friend alright?"

Bella swallowed a bit. "Y-yes sir... She's fine." She shifted, biting her lip. "She was knocked out before she could tell that one of the nomads had pulled her in. So... I'm still the only one who knows..." Under Carlisle's unwavering gaze, her voice fell. "...just thought you'd want to know sir..."

"Well that's good," said Esme in her gentle tone. She turned to Carlisle, putting a hand on his. "At least she's still the only one who knows..." Carlisle sighed and nodded, rubbing his eyes.

"That aside," said Billy curtly. "I want to know why you aren't doing your job. First it was the police chief, and now a young girl. How many people are you willing to put in danger before you act?"

"Need I remind you that it isn't that simple," said Carlisle, his ego ruffled slightly. "Nomads are evasive. Attacking one head on is never smart, no matter how many of us there are."

"Not to mention," said Rosalie, hands folded in her lap, "one of them is a multiplier. I think it might be the leader."

"A multiplier?" Bella looked to Jacob.

"You know what a dark gift is, right?" Bella nodded and Jacob continued. "A multiplier is someone who can make several copies of themselves."

"Great for confusing your enemy if you want to get away," said Emmit. "Even better if you're the one attacking."

Bella nodded and turned to the vampires across the way. "Ok... so how did she know?"

"Rosalie is an aura seer," Esme explained. "She can tell someone's ability by simply looking at them." Rosalie had a small, proud smile on her face, but extinguished it quickly in order to keep her composure. That must have meant that they met with the nomads prior to the meeting...

"In any case," said Carlisle. "We can't simply take them down up front. It would be unwise, to say the least."

"Then what do you suggest?" Billy asked, leaning back against his wheel chair seat.

Carlisle thought for a moment, eyes resting on Bella. She kept her mind as blank as she could, so that he wouldn't see her intimidation. He then stood quickly and looked over his shoulder. "Edward." For the first time since they got there, Edward's eyes snapped up. He must have not fed in a while; his eyes were dark. Carlisle motioned for him to come closer, and he did so, his gaze still refusing to fall on Bella. "I've changed my mind about school." His lips parted slightly and he blinked.

"Really...?" There was true surprise in his voice.

"You can go back," said Carlisle. He turned to Bella. "It's apparent that they fancy you a play toy. Edward will stay close to you from now on. If they try anything again, he'll catch them long enough for us to get rid of them."

Unwillingly, their eyes met. It was obvious that he still resented her for the fight. Bella looked away, her grip on Jacob's hand exceedingly tighter. The shifter beside her stood to his feet. "No way," he said. He looked to Billy pleadingly. "Dad, let me go to school with Bella. I can fight them off – "

"It would be too suspicious if you were taken off the reservation," said Billy with a sigh. "Edward went to that school initially, so it would make sense for him to come back."

"We can make up a story," Jacob insisted. He glared at Edward. "Besides... who's to say he won't take bite himself?"

With a growl, Edward rushed to Jacob for that jeer, but was stopped by Emmet, who held him back. Sam also stood, hand on Jacob's shoulder. The two glowered at one another, the silver in Jacob's eyes blaring. Emmet whispered to his brother to calm down, and Edward's rigid body loosened slightly. After a tense moment, he turn and went back to where he was, Emmet returning to the couch and Jacob sitting down.

"I apologize for my son," said Billy. "He's a bit... tense. This is his first meeting." He frowned at Jacob and then looked to the others. "That'll be it then. Edward will shadow Bella during the day. Jacob will keep to her when it's too sunny for Edward to go out. It's not likely they'll attack on one of those days, but you never know."

"Agreed." Carlisle stood, the others following suit. "Good day, Mr. Black."

"Good day, Mr. Cullen." With that, the visiting party left, Bella's legs going wobbly. The ride back was silent, Jacob practically fuming beside her. Sam left in his own car, heading directly back to the reservation. Gently, Bella tapped his arm. He looked at her.

"Don't be angry," she said softly. She tried to lighten up the mood by smiling. "I'm still wearing my cross, right? So I should be fine." He sighed and ran a hand through his long hair.

"Yeah..." He looked at her intently. "Just... if he does try anything... I want you to tell me. Do you promise?"

Bella sighed. Despite their bad blood, she knew that Edward wouldn't try anything. If he was going to, he would have done it long before now. "I promise." She let her head fall to the back of her seat. "How long until we can get the nomads, do you think?"

"Who knows," said Jacob with a sigh. "I only hope it's soon..."

"Yeah... me too." With that, they silently sat in the back seat, minds mucked in thought as the day finally turned to a quiet, haunting night.

Yeah, relatively short chapter. This is just a set up for the coming chapters. Review!

~T.


	14. Bodyguard

Thank you again for all of your reviews. I'd like a few more, so let's keep them up! Oh, and hopeisabluebird? You were my 100th reviewer. Congrats!

**Fourteen: Bodyguard**

**T**o say things were awkward would be an understatement. The uneasiness that escalated with every moment that day was nearing unbearable by the end of school. It wasn't just biology, either. Because of the appending danger to Bella's being, Edward had to be with her whenever she was not in class. That meant from morning till dusk. However, no one thought it important to tell her this. So, when she woke up that morning to see Edward Cullen on her porch, she was surprised, to say the least. Thankfully, Charlie was still asleep. He would be on a leave of absence until the doctor deemed him well again. Bella had woken up a bit late, and had rushed to put her clothes on, and then scurried downstairs, putting a bagel in her mouth as she went. She flung the door open, her back pack half on, and her hair a complete mess, only to be met by the scowling face of Edward. There was a couple of beats as the two stared at each other. Bella's mind had gone blank. Slowly, she closed the door, the pastry still hanging between her teeth. She blinked and opened it again, poking her eyes out the crack. He was still there. Now, irritation added to his already leering face. He rolled his eyes as she closed it again, her heart having skipped a few beats. She took out the bagel and put it aside, calming herself. After straightening everything out, she stepped to the porch, shyly smiling at him. She didn't want things to start off too terribly. But, far from reciprocating her gesture of truce, he scoffed, turning on his heal and stomping off.

"Come on," he snapped. "You're driving." He opened up the passenger door to her old truck and slumped in, slamming the metal thing behind him. Bella sighed and moved forward. The snow was once more a sickly thin sheet, though not as dangerous or icy as it was the day Tyler's van almost hit her. She moved into the driver's seat and started the truck. As it warmed, she glanced at Edward. He stared out the window, arms folded and sulking. He reminded her of a wet cat. He turned and they stared at one another. Edward pouted. "Well? What are you waiting for? You're late enough as it is."

Bella shook her head, deciding it was best not to speak. Instead, she drove, the rattling of the engine and the slightly loose doors the only sound between the two. She didn't dare turn on the radio. She feared that he'd tare it out from pure frustration. She drove up the road, leading to the school. She didn't want to be so tense around him all day, so finally, she spoke. "Um... do you not know how to drive?" He eyed her, frowning. However, Bella could tell he was interested. "Because... because I could teach you. If you wanted... It's really easy. You just have to – "

"Are you wearing your cross?"

Bella blinked as he interrupted her. She nodded, showing her the silver from her neck. "Yes... but like I was saying, if you want to learn – " She stopped as he wrenched open the door and slammed it shut once more. She parked and scurried after him, bringing her back pack closer to her. "Edward, look I – "

"You're wearing your cross," he repeated. "You're in my sights. I'm doing my job. Part of my job _isn't_ listening to you blabber. So keep your mouth shut and it'll be a lot less painful."

Bella wanted to protest at such a rude, blatant statement, but she was fearful of what the reaction might be if she said something along the lines of "make me". Pissing off an already angry vampire wasn't the best idea, as far as she was considered. So, she sighed and reverted to silence, keeping her eyes to the floor. Class was even worse. Instead of just not talking, he went out of his way to ignore that she was even there. He kept his eyes pointedly aimed at the wall beside him or up to the front. Anywhere but to where Bella was sitting. In all honesty, it depressed her. Yes, they had had a fight. But he didn't need to be so terse. He begrudgingly walked her to each of her classes, and they ate together at lunch. She wanted to go back over to her friends at the regular lunch table, but disobeying him might make him even more angry. By the time he was waiting for her, Bella's slight depression turned into aggravation. She had been dwelling on the fight all day. Yes, she didn't do what he told her to, but she was in the right. And if her father had just kept on the cross, he probably wouldn't have been attacked. He had just been over reacting. And now, he was pouting like a child who didn't get his way. When he saw her moving closer, he turned and lead her to her truck.

"Hey, Edward," she said, trying to get his attention. He didn't even pause. He just kept right on heading for the truck. She spoke louder. "Edward." He still didn't respond. Instead, he moved straight for the passenger door. In frustration, she followed him, closed the door and shoved him against the truck bed. A look of surprise came over his features. She glared at him. "_Look_ at me when I'm talking to you!" she demanded, her voice more firm then she thought she could accomplish. Edward's eyebrows went to his hairline at that. "I know you're mad at me," she began, "but sulking won't fix anything! What happened happened. And... and I'll tell you something else. I don't regret what I did! It ultimately didn't work, but he needed it more then I did! If he just would have worn it, he might have not been in the hospital!" Her face was red. She couldn't stop herself if she wanted to. She inched forward, pointing at him menacingly. "And what gives _you_ the right to boss me around anyway!? I'm smart enough to protect myself! You may be here to stop the nomads from hurting anyone else, but I don't need a babysitter! I'm not some meek female that needs her hand held every five minutes! And _another _thing! You had _better_ start being nice to me! You don't have to be my best friend or anything, but you've been nothing but rude to me ever since you laid eyes on me! And all I've ever done is try to be nice to you! So I don't want to hear another complaint, whine, or smart little comment, or I'm – I'm – !" She paused, furious beyond all belief. She then nodded and leaned in venomously. "I'm telling your father!" she hissed finally.

There was a very long beat after that. He stared at her in utter disbelief. She kept her composure, her angry face blaring straight into his. She was on her tip toes to try and get closer. Despite how tall she was, he was still an inch or two taller then herself. Slowly, a smile began to curl around his lips. He put his hand to his mouth and snickered. This only aggravated Bella more, but she couldn't say anything as he suddenly burst out laughing. He clutched his stomach, leaning against the truck and roaring. He laughed so hard, tears came to the corners of his eyes. He was very lucky that they were on the opposite side facing the rest of the lot – his fangs were quite visible as he laughed. Finally, Bella hit him in the back of the head. He rubbed it, reverting to chuckles instead of hysterical laughter.

"Ok, ok!" he said, standing up and holding out his hands. "I get it!" He shook his head. "Honestly, Bella. You are the most reckless person..." However, this comment wasn't spiteful. Rather, it was light. Almost playful. He laughed a moment or so more before slipping into the passenger's seat. Bella huffed and got into the driver's seat, still in a bit of a tiff. As they drove, Edward gave out a bit of a laugh now and then.

"Quit that," Bella snipped.

"I'm not laughing at you," said Edward. "Ok... well, yeah I am. Just..." He shook his head, still laughing. "Over the past... what, month or more? You've been surrounded by blood sucking, demonic creatures. You've seen what they could do. You came close to death at least once. Maybe twice since the lake. And yet you have the balls to stand up to me like that." He shook his head throughly amused.

Bella stared at him as she yielded for a cross walk. She turned her head back to the road and continued to drive. "Well..." She tapped her fingers on the wheel. What did possess her to make such a fuss? Especially when she already knew what kind of creature her companion was? How many times had Edward or any of the others struck fear into her? And yet she faced him, brave and bold, without thought of a consequence. But then again... Edward hadn't hurt her. He had a chance – a few chances – to do so. Still, he hadn't. She began to speak, deep in thought. "I just... don't think you'll hurt me like the nomads would. You come off like you're this dangerous thing... but I think... I think that if you had a choice, you wouldn't hurt a soul." She glanced at him. He had his chin propped on the door, looking at her with an unreadable face. The paused at a red light, looking at one another. A smile fell to Edward's lips. It wasn't the amused, snide grin that he wore before laughing at her. Rather, it was a kinder, warmer expression. One that caught Bella by surprise.

"You're so strange..." He sat back on the chair. "It's green." Bella noted that the light was in fact green and began to drive once more. Edward rubbed his forehead. "So... what do you plan on doing once you're home?"

"Um..." Bella thought for a second. "Homework and then... I dunno. I might read for a bit. Call Chris."

That caught Edward's attention. He sat up a bit straighter and looked to him. "Who?"

"My boyfriend..." Bella once more became uncomfortable, but for a very different reason. "He's still in Arizona." She watched as Edward frowned out the window.

"Oh." He didn't say anything more. A strange thought came to Bella. She stared at him, parking the truck.

"Are you... jealous?"

"No!" said Edward quickly, snapping his head to her. It was Bella's turn to snicker this time. What little color the vampire possessed ran to his cheeks. "I said I'm not!" Bella snorted and got out of the truck, bringing her pack with her. Edward slumped out behind her, back to his former self. Bella shook her head, looking at him.

"You're so bipolar," she remarked with a click of her tongue. Edward huffed and looked away, still embarrassed. He shook his head and looked to her.

"So you're not going anywhere else tonight?"

"Nope. Staying right at home." Edward nodded and looked up to the window.

"Good... Don't let anyone in – "

"Unless it's you, I know." Bella paused and looked to the living room. Charlie had gotten up to watch sports. "Um... did you want to come in for a second?" She looked to him. "I mean... if you want."

Edward considered it, staring at the little home. "Yeah, ok." He shrugged and the two walked up to the door. Bella opened it, inviting him in as usual.

"Daddy?" Charlie looked up from the couch, a beer in his gauzed hand. "Um.. this is Edward. He's my biology partner. We're going to work on some homework, ok?" Charlie nodded, greeting Edward with a nod. They walked up the stairs.

"Keep the door open!" came Charlie's instruction. Bella said she would, even though she found the order to be quite funny. Once in her room, she sat on the bed, taking off her coat. Edward looked around the area, having been in her room only once, and only for a short time. Now, he seemed more analytical, taking in the details.

"Well here we are," said Bella with a smile, pulling out her books. Edward nodded, eyes landing on a picture that she had framed. He picked it up.

"Is this Chris?" He showed it to her and she nodded.

"Yeah..." He looked discerning at the photo before putting it down and not touching on the subject again. "So um..." He directed his attention to her. "What do you want to do? I can hold off on my homework for now." Edward considered it and shrugged.

"I don't know." He sat on the edge of the bed. "What do you want to do?"

Bella thought for a bit. "Well... I'm still curious. You know... about you."

"Ok."

"What's your dark gift?" It gnawed at her ever since she learned about them. She was so curious as to what it was, she day dreamed constantly about what it could be. Edward smiled and patted her head.

"It's a secret," he said slyly.

"Awe!" Bella put her hands to her knees, bouncing up and down. "But I wanna know!"

"Maybe later." Edward laid on the bed, hands behind his hair. He kept his eyes on the ceiling before looking to her. Despite his sunken in features, when hit in the right light, he was actually hansom. "You know... I'm kind of curious about you."

"Me?" asked Bella, a little taken aback.

"Sure." Edward laid to her side, propping his head in his hand. "I mean, all this time I've been talking about myself. What about you? All I really know is that you're the daughter of the chief of police and you're from Arizona." He made a face. "And you have a boyfriend," he added. He looked up to her. "There has to be more to you then that."

Bella thought for a bit. "Well... I guess so. But it's not interesting."

"I'll decide that." Edward seemed sincerely interested. "Tell me."

She considered before starting to speak. She was born in Forks. Raised in Phoenix. She kept close to her father, despite the distance. She had a secret passion for photography, but was too unsure of herself to pursue it. She enjoyed watching baseball – but only if she was at a game. It was too boring on TV. Her favorite color was blue. She could look at the desert for hours. She had looked at the desert for hours. Her best friend was crazy. Her boyfriend was sweet. She had a child hood toy named Sir Snuggles once. She didn't know what happened to him. She was afraid of the toilet when he was three. She was afraid of the closet when she was five. Hell, at one point, she was afraid of everything. Finally, she had to stop herself.

"Oh... I'm boring you, huh?" He smiled.

"No. Not at all." He had kept his attention on her the whole time, never wavering, never looking away or looking bored. He was intrigued, almost. He sat up. "It's cool."

Bella laughed. "No it's not."

"Sure it is." He sighed and looked out the window. It was dark now. "I can't remember all that much about my human life, other then my parents being murdered. It's nice to hear about someone who's... normal."

Bella smiled weakly. "I hate being normal." He looked to her. "Well... I mean, it's dull to be normal, right? Being interesting is what makes someone exciting. Like you." They looked at one another, facing each other on the bed. Bella hadn't realized that sitting up, Edward was quite close to her. She held her ankles, unsure of what to do or say. He smiled kindly.

"I guess so..." His voice was softer – the tenor lowering into a gentle hum. Bella felt herself slowly gravitate towards him, and he to her. She could count the eyelashes that stuck to his lids. She noticed that under his wax complexion, there was evidence of faded freckles. His lips – though thin – were inviting. She inched a little further.

"It's late!" came the voice of her father. "Your friend should head home!"

Bella jolted out of her skin and recaptured herself. "O-oh... yeah, sure..." She slipped off the bed. "He's leaving now!" she called to her father. She smiled weakly at Edward. "Sorry..." She looked away and began to straighten things on her desk. What was she doing just then? Was she... were they about to...?

"Yeah, ok." Edward stood. "Keep your cross on this time, ok?" Bella nodded and walked him down to the door. Perhaps she was fooling herself. Yes... that was probably it. She was just seeing things. She'd been under a lot of stress. That was what it was. She imagined it. They walked out to the porch and Edward nodded to her.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Right..." Her voice was a bit weaker then normal. He then walked off, hands in his pockets. Bella shook her head and closed the door. She was being stupid... She had Chris, for one thing. For another... She let her hand fall from the knob. For another... She shook her head and went back upstairs, throwing herself to the bed. He wasn't human. How stupid would one have to be to fall for someone who wasn't human? She rubbed her forehead and sat up. Grudgingly, she took out her books.

She had a long night ahead of her.

Chapter fourteen. A bit short, but i'm pressed for time. Review!

~T.


	15. Shoulders

EDIT - DX AHHH! I DELETED THIS! I'M SOOO TIRED T.T NOOOOOOOOOO! DOES THIS MEAN I LOOSE MY REVIEWS?! NUUUU! DX I LOVE MY REVIEWS!

Thanks for all the reviews! Let's keep 'em comin! Anyway, remember how I said that Bella having a prior boyfriend had its purpose? Well here it is.

PS – I hope you guys know the story of _Casablanca_. It's symbolic in this chapter.

**Fifteen: Shoulders**

"**W**hat did I do wrong?"

This was the question that Bella had asked herself again and again that night. She tossed and turned in her bed, trying to look at the situation from many different views. She shouldn't have moved. She should have called him more often. Maybe she was too easy going? Maybe she was too demanding? She didn't think she'd been a bother. But why else would this happen? Bella gripped her pillow close to her chest, staring out the window. It was late. Charlie was probably forcing himself to stay awake on the couch. Bella guessed that because he couldn't exactly do much at the moment, he found that staying up late was a way of defiance. In any case, she could hear the muffled sounds of a late night movie fading up to her room. She focused on that. From the sounds of it, the movie was old, and Bella recognized some of the lines. It was _Casablanca_, she recognized. She laid on her back and looked to her phone. Just three hours ago she had been so happy. She passed her math test, she and Edward were getting along better, and the nomads seemed as though they'd be leaving pretty soon. Why? Why did this have to happen when she was so pleased with her day? She shut her eyes and let her mind wander to just three hours previous. It was only about eight or so, and Bella was getting ready to call Chris, now that her homework was finished. But before she could hit send, his name popped on the screen. She blinked. It was her night to call, so why was he doing it instead? But she answered happily, laying against the bed.

"Hi," she said brightly, hugging her sheets. "I was just about to call you. I had a great day today. I'm passing all my classes. Weird, huh? But anyway, I've been missing you a bit lately. So I was thinking that this summer – "

"_I think we should break up._"

Bella stopped, mid sentience. She wasn't quite sure if she had heard that right. She sat up, staring at the floor for a moment. "What...?" She shook her head. No, there was no way. Maybe the reception was bad. "I'm sorry, Chris, what was that? I... I think I heard it wrong."

A long sigh came from the other end. "_I think we should break up_," he repeated. "_Look, Bella... You're a great girl. I just can't do the whole... long distance romance thing anymore._"

Bella could feel her heart slowly sink within her chest, a pain replacing it. She didn't know what to say. She gaped stupidly, like a fish out of water. She was only thankful that he couldn't see her shocked and embarrassed face. "But... but before I left, you said – "

"_I thought I could handle it,_" he continued. "_But it's been almost three months. I just... I can't. I'm sorry._"

Bella shook her head. "Was it... something I said? Or did?" Her voice began to grow panicky. "I-I mean... I mean if it's something I said, I take it back. I'm really sorry if I ever – "

"_No, Bella_." There was a silence. "_No, it's nothing you did._" He paused once more. "_It was... more of what I did._"

Her pained heart began to thud faster. "What? What did you do...?" She could almost hear the tense thoughts that ran through his mind.

"_Well..._" he began slowly. "_You haven't been here... so I've been kinda down because I miss you... So... I went to a party that Maria threw to try and, you know, get my mind off things?_" He stopped, as if waiting for her to say something. She remained quiet, so he continued. "_Anyway... I started... well, Maria was able to smuggle some booze from her dad, so I started drinking. Maria and I... we started to talk about... things._"

"What kind of things?" asked Bella, her voice now a little more angry.

"_... About... God, Bella, you don't know how hard it is to say this._"

"Say it," Bella snapped. "What _exactly_ did you two talk about?" Her blood began to boil. She knew that whatever it was, it wasn't something Chris would be proud of. She could only guess as to why.

"_Fine... We just talked about... you know, regular stuff? And then..._"

"And then?" Bella asked pointedly.

"_And then... Well then she invite me into... into her room._"

Bella froze, unaware of how tightly she was holding the phone. She was clinging onto one shred of hope that he wasn't about to say. She hoped to God that he was going to say that he vomited or that she passed out or that the cops were called. Anything other then what she feared might come out of his mouth.

"Chris... you didn't..." She gripped the front of her shirt, her face paling. Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Did you have sex with her?" Chris didn't answer. Bella's fears became greater. "Did you!?" she practically yelled into the phone. "Chris, answer me!? Did you do it with her?! Did you!?"

"_Yes, ok?! Yes! I did it! I'm sorry, I was drunk!_"

Bella was glad she wasn't standing up. If she had been, she was sure would have fallen. Her boyfriend... and her best friend. She gripped the side of her bed, phone shaking in her hand. She didn't know what to say or do. Chris was her first serious relationship. She wasn't prepared for something like this. Perhaps this was her own stupidity coming back to haunt her. She should have known that things might not have been so easy after she moved. She knew things would be hard, but to think that Chris would go so far as to... do something like this... When they became serious, she was so sure that he'd stay loyal to her. She didn't give one thought to the appending consequences of having blind faith in someone.

"_Are you still there...?_" Still, Bella didn't speak. She was at a loss for words at this point. "_Bells..._" His pet name for her stung harder then anything else he said. "_I screwed up, ok? But... but it's not entirely my fault. I mean... you didn't have to move, but you did. You know how lonely I was when you left? It was going to happen sooner or later, you know._"

Bella closed her eyes. She refused to show tears, even on the phone. "Chris... you said... Before I left, you told me..." Her voice wavered. "You told me that you loved me..."Another long silence.

"_Well... I guess I don't love you as much as I thought._"

That was it. With a disgusted noise, Bella hung up and threw the phone across the room. She was so furious. With Chris, with herself... She gripped her sheets until her knuckles became white. So many thoughts were going through her head. She was so angry... She snapped her head up as her phone vibrated. Walking over, she took out the batterie and put the two pieces on her dresser. She then fell to her bed and laid there silently for the next three hours. When she could no longer stand the solitude of her room, she slipped out and migrated to where her father sat, which _Casablanca_, as was predicted. Charlie looked over to her, his bandaged leg propped up on the table. He smiled.

"Hey, Bella. Shouldn't you be in bed? It's a little late." Bella shuffled closer to the couch, and his smile fell, noticing her wrecked state. "Bella...? What is it? Something wrong?" She stopped, just inches away from the couch. She stared at the ground.

"Daddy...? Do you think... do you think I can stay out here with you for a while?"

He looked at her, worried and confused, but he nodded. "Sure..." He took his crutches and put them to the side, patting the cushion beside him. Bella sat down and cuddled close to her father, laying her head on his shoulder. He stroked her hair fondly, sighing against her. "Bella, what is it? Did something happen?"

Bella directed her eyes to the black and white film on the television. The stern faced Rick was giving the meek and timid Ilsa a talking to, asking why she did what she did. Why did she leave him for another man? Did their time in Paris mean nothing? And now she begged him for help for her husband. Bella scolded Ilsa in her mind. How dare she take advantage of Rick's kindness? How dare she even show her face to him after betraying his trust? And poor Rick... Still in love with this deceiving snake of a woman. She claimed to love him too, but Bella didn't believe that for a second. When they kissed after their argument, Bella wanted to throw something at the TV.

"Bella?" her father's voice insisted. "You know you can tell me anything..."

Bella shifted and then laid down so that her head was now on Charlie's thigh. She didn't feel like talking right now. "I'm ok, Dad," she said softly. "I just... I just want to be out here for a little bit." Thankfully, Charlie understood, and didn't press the matter further. He pet her head and the two watched the rest of the movie. Bella could have cussed out the TV near the end. Rick was such an idiot... Helping Ilsa after she broke his heart for another man. Even after all that, Rick let the two of them escape Casablanca, leaving himself behind. Rick was such a moron. Ilsa didn't deserve such consideration...

She would have staid up all night if she could, but Charlie shooed her off to bed once the movie was over. So, she trudged up to bed that night, changing and crawling beneath her sheets, though they gave her no comfort. She didn't sleep that night. Instead, she watched as the sun slowly crawled up behind the tree tops. She didn't want to go to school. She wanted to lay in her bed, just staring at her window or at the wall. But in order to do that, she would have to have a good excuse. And she didn't want to reveal the conversation that she and Chris had that night. So, begrudgingly, she got up at the sound of her alarm and got dressed. She dressed slower then usual, taking her time with her clothes. The longer she could hide from the world, the better. She wasn't hungry, so instead, she just went outside. Edward was waiting for her as always. Bella walked straight for the truck without wishing him good morning. Immediately, he sensed something was up. He asked before she even started up the car.

"What's wrong?" he inquired.

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"So?"

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Did someone do something?"

"No."

Edward frowned and crossed his arms. "Bella, what is it? You look terrible. Did you get any sleep last night?" She turned on the truck and let it warm for a moment.

"Please Edward," she pleaded softly. "Just... leave it alone ok?" She looked at him weakly. His face portrayed one of worry, but he didn't say anything more. They drove quietly to school, Bella refusing to look at him. When they got to school, they silently made their way to Biology. That period went by fairly quickly, but Bella's relief that the day might go fast was tarnished when she went to math. Jessica fired off a series of questions, all of which Bella was not prepared for nor was she going to answer.

"You can't keep quiet forever," she snapped, folding her arms. "Does it have something to do with Creepo?"

"Jessica, just stop it." Bella sat up right, scribbling notes. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Why? Did he kiss you?" She gasped. "Oooh! You two are in some kind of secret relationship, aren't you?!"

"No, Jessica. Now just – "

"Wait... did he force himself on you?"

"No!" said Bella, appalled that she would even come to such a conclusion.

"Good... the guy looks like he has at least two STDs."

That just pissed her off. "You don't know shit!" she hissed below her breath. Her bottled up anger was finding a way of being released. It seemed that the blissfully naïve Jessica had been chosen as its target. "Quit thinking every thing's because of him! He's nicer then you know! This isn't even about Edward!"

At first, Jessica was shocked that Bella swore at her. But she twisted her face into an angry looking scowl when she was finished. "Oh, forgive me for not giving a psychopathic killer a chance. I _really_ should get to know him better!"

"Will you shut up?!" Their voices were louder now, and people were starting to stare. Bella didn't care in the slightest. "I am so sick of you acting like you know everything!"

"I know more then you do!" Jessica retorted.

Bella let out a particularly loud snort. "Oh yeah!" she laughed menacingly. "Yeah you _really_ know more then I do!"

"Shut up!" Jessica's face was turning red from embarrassment.

"You listen to me, Jess," Bella seethed. "You don't know jack, got it? So quit acting like you do!"

"You're one to talk, Arizona girl!" Jessica spat back. "Why don't you go back to your damn dessert!? No one wants you here, anyway!"

That was it. Bella stood quickly to her feet, causing Jessica to fall off of her chair from being startled. Bella yelled at the top of her lungs: "_You don't know ANYTHING you dumb bitch!_"

The entire room went silent. Even the teacher was staring at Bella in disbelief. Finally, she recollected herself enough to turn a furious face to her student. "Bella!" she snapped. "To the Dean's office this instant!"

Bella didn't need to be told twice. Swiping up her things, Bella stormed out, closing the door to the classroom particularly loud while she fumed her way down the hallway. Perhaps that was a bit harsh. Even so, hearing Jessica say that no one wanted her hurt. Badly.

_Well I guess I don't love you as much as I thought..._

Bella walked into the Dean's office, noticing that he seemed to be also very disappointed in her for her outburst. She was too furious to even respond. She barely registered it when she was told that she was to go home. Her father had been called and he'd be expecting her. When she got home, Charlie gave her a twenty minute lecture on how he expected better from her then something like that. Bella didn't care. She stood there, immobile as he spoke. When he was finished, she turned and moved into her room, locking the door behind her. She noticed the framed picture on her desk. She walked over and picked it up. It was she and Chris, the two of them holding each other and smiling. She wanted to go back to that... back where things were simple. No vampires, no shifters... Just she and Chris... Her hand gripped the frame when she remembered what he told her the night before. He didn't love her as much as he thought she did. Well then that made her the fool in this story, didn't it? He slept with her best friend... She was twice as stupid with that fact thrown in. Her anger began to reach a boiling point, simmering and broiling beneath her skin.

She hated Chris. She hated him with all her might. She hated the way he laughed – how happy his smile used to be. She hated how he'd smell of wood shavings and cinnamon, she hated how he had a birth mark on his left thigh. She hated how cute he'd be when he'd try to be romantic. She hated how he'd come by when she was sick and bring a little teddy bear for her. She hated how he let her sit on her lap whenever they went anywhere. She hated how he'd call her pet names and kiss her neck. She hated how he promised that they'd be true to each other even though they were thousands of miles away. She hated everything about him.

She threw the picture as hard as she could on the wall.

It cracked the glass and fell to the ground, laying face down. Surprisingly, it felt good. She ran forward and stomped on it. She became more and more aggressive, slamming her heal down on it over and over again. She then picked it up and yanked it from the broken frame. She ripped it to shreds and threw it to the ground. She went to her bed and picked up the small stuffed animal that he'd given her when she was sick. She tugged at it until the head came off, taking scissors to the rest of its body. Soon, a snow of white fluff sat at her feet. She kicked the toy to the side and fell to her bed. She screamed into her pillow, gripping it tight. Slowly but surely, her grip loosened. She felt exhausted. The entire night of no sleep began to weigh on her, and she passed out, laying on the bed.

Her sleep was dreamless, much to her relief. When she awoke, her eyes directed to her clock. It was about five in the afternoon. She rolled on her back and looked at the mess she made on her floor. She made no effort to clean it up. She liked looking at it. It was like a strange piece of art.

_Tap, tap, tap._

Bella shot up and looked off to the side. Edward was once more at her window, a frown on his features. She looked at him and then looked away. She wanted to be left alone. She heard his faint plea to be let in and she sighed. Walking over to the window, she opened it. "You can come in." He slipped into the room and she sat on the bed, hands covering her face. The springs beside her depressed, Bella realizing that he sat beside her. There was a pause between the two. Slowly, an arm encompassed her shoulders. He didn't ask her to say anything. Because of this, she began to talk. She told him everything. She told him about how she and Chris promised to stay true, how they planned to visit each other during brakes and during summer... And then she told him about everything that he had said to her that night. Still, she did not cry.

Edward sat there, stoic and staring at the floor. She looked up to him as his eyes were connected to the floorboards. "So... he was really important to you. You really... did love him, right?"

Bella looked to her shoes. "I thought I did." Now that all of her aggression was out, she began to regret how she acted that day. Her old sense was coming back do her. She smiled weakly, as if attempting to make light of the situation. "But... I guess I should have seen it coming. Boyfriend cheating on you with your best friend. I'm stuck in a cliché I guess." She looked up to Edward, but he wasn't smiling. He turned his own eyes back to hers.

"Bella...?" She felt her insides tremor as he prepared a question. "Did you loose your virginity to him?"

Bella's mouth began to gape at him, her eyes widening. How? How could he have known? Then again, it might have been obvious. She turned her eyes to her knees, and finally, tears misted her gaze. She shut her eyes tightly, but there was no use trying to stop them. She nodded, body trembling. She put her hand to her mouth, a couple sharp breaths shooting into her lungs. "Y-yes..." she stuttered, hot tears falling from her face. "I did..." She began to sob, trembling within his grasp. He held her close and she cried on his chest, clinging to him like a lost child. She didn't know how long she cried. She just sat there, bawling her eyes out. "H-he said... He said th-that we wouldn't b-be... Be seeing each other for a long t-time...!" She sobbed even harder, wailing with her mouth open. It felt good to cry. Just as it felt good to throw the picture. But it didn't last too long. Soon, she developed a head ache, and her eyes ran dry. Now that her face and eyes were both red and streaked with salt, she reverted to just sniffling, cuddled up against him. His skin was cold, his grip on her comforting and safe. She felt secure, sitting within his arms. And it wasn't long until she stopped crying all together, simply existing within his hold. Finally, she sat up and apologized for being a burden. She felt a cold finger wipe away her tear. She looked up weakly.

"Don't be sorry," he said sincerely.

She looked at him for a moment and nodded. He took her into another embrace. They held one another for a long time, watching as the gray, clouded sky turned black. Bella's stomach growled painfully. It was only then that she realized she hadn't eaten all day. "I'm hungry," she said suddenly. As if on cue, a knock came to her door. Bella was about to tell Edward to hide, when in a flash of wind, he ran into her bathroom, shutting the door silently behind him. She sighed and walked over to her door, opening it. Charlie stood there, a plate of Chinese food in his hands as he leaned on one crutch. They've been eating a lot of it lately. Probably because they delivered.

"I figured you'd want something to eat," he said kindly. She took the plate and thanked him, setting it on the dresser. Charlie noticed the litter of destroyed objects. "Bella, I'm worried about you..." She stared at the food a bit more and then walked back to her father. She hugged him around his neck lovingly.

"I'm ok," she said softly. "Thank you Daddy. I love you." He hugged her as best he could while still balancing himself on a crutch. After a small father-daughter moment, he left her room, and she shut the door. Turning around, Edward was back on the bed, waiting for her. She went to her food and began to eat. She didn't know just how hungry she was until she started eating. And she was in such a rush to put food in her mouth that she didn't even care that she was using a fork. Edward waited patiently until she was done.

"Are you going to be alright?" he asked as she put her plate back to her dresser. She looked at her lap.

"I don't know," she said honestly. That day, she wanted so badly to just be alone. Now, she almost feared it. She cast her eyes up to him, timidly. "Can you... can you stay with me tonight? Please?" He agreed without so much as a complaint. After she changed in the bathroom, she came back out and laid down. He sat on her floor, back pressed up to the side of the mattress. Mindlessly, her hand went forward and she began to run her fingers through his hair. It was surprisingly soft. He didn't tell her to stop, so she never did. "Edward?"

"Hm?" he said without looking up.

She shifted. "You can... lay with me if you want." Or rather, she wanted him to lay with her. She was afraid that if he was on her floor, he'd be gone before the sun rose. Again, he agreed and laid stiffly on his side, facing her. They looked at each other for a bit, Bella's aching heart starting to ease. She closed her eyes slowly, the vision of Edward's face lingering for just a bit longer.

Sleep once more claimed her as her victim.

Here we are. Another chapter. I hope you guys like it. Review!

~T.


	16. Sunny Mornings

Ok... so um... T.T I accidentally deleted my last chapter. But I reuploaded it, no big. Still, I was afraid I was going to loose all of my wonderful reviews for that one... it doesn't seem like it's happening... still, i'll try to be more careful next time... stupid fatigue.

**Sixteen: Sunny Mornings**

**T**hankfully, that next day was a Saturday. If it had been a school day, Bella probably wouldn't have gotten up in time. She awoke gradually that morning, the feeling of sunlight warming her face. She woke up without opening her eyes, letting her senses slowly click on. At first, she wasn't quite sure what had happened the night before, but then it all came to her, like the flow of melting ice. She supposed she should still be angry, or at least slightly upset. But her temper tantrum along with Edward's visit had calmed her. Now, she felt nothing but deflation and exhaustion of the whole thing. Her eyes slowly opened to see the golden rays of the sun peeping through the glass. That's when she noticed she was the only one on the bed. She sat up and looked around. It was sunny... so maybe he went home? More then likely. It disheartened her a bit – she was hoping to wake up to him. She caught herself in that thought. What a strange hope... She wasn't quite sure why she wanted to see him that morning so much. It was probably because of his comfort from the night before. Lately, Edward had been showing a bit more of a tender side. She guessed that she just wanted to feel as much of that sweet center as she could, considering how terrifying things were becoming. It was more then welcomed in uncertain times. She slipped out of bed and yawned, scratching her temple. She could still feel dried tears on her cheeks. She must have looked a mess. Walking into the bathroom, she turned on the light and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was worse then usual, and her eyes were still slightly puffy from the day before. With a sigh, she washed her face and turned to leave for breakfast, when she noticed something.

Laying in the concaved form of her bath tub was none other then Edward. He was sleeping, curled up with his feet beneath the faucet. Bella went to her knees, glad he hadn't left in the middle of the night. She watched him, curiously. He was so peaceful when he slept. His breathing was easy, his worn, sunken eyes closed gently. He seemed to be comfortable enough, his hands acting as a pillow beneath his cheek. Bella glanced at the sun that splayed across the top of her bed and then looked to Edward. Thankfully, the bathroom did not have a window. He probably came in here to sleep at dawn. Just as the night before, her hand went forward and stroked his hair. She wondered just when he slept. He went to school in the day time when it was clouded. Maybe he was only able to sleep on weekends and the days where it was too sunny? He must have been drained every day coming to school. That would partially explain his sour attitude in class. Well, partially, anyway. Something told Bella that he had other reasons for being so crude. Part of it was probably the fact that he needed to keep his identity secret. As she ran her fingers through his soft hair, he winced and shifted in his sleep, turning to his back. She pulled back her hand, but he did not stir. Not wanting to bother him further, Bella left, turning off the light and leaving the door open a crack. She wrote a note that she'd be back for him later. They were running out of groceries, and going shopping might make up the fact that she had worried Charlie yesterday. So, after doing something with her hair and changing into new clothes (she fell asleep in her jeans and sweater the night before), she moved downstairs to the kitchen. Charlie was currently making sausages, one of his favorites. Bella hugged him around the waist.

"Morning," she said kindly. Charlie looked at her, a bit surprised.

"Hey kiddo," he said, patting her head. He shifted on his crutch, flipping the sausage in the pan. "How are you doing, Bella?"

"Ok I guess." She leaned against the counter, watching him cook. Breakfast was his thing. He enjoyed doing it by himself. Bella supposed it had to do with some sort of rugged man image to get up early and cook meat. "Look, I'm sorry I scared you." She rubbed her arm, figuring she'd tell him the truth for once. "My... boyfriend from Arizona. He broke up with me the other night... I was just really upset." She rubbed her temple. "And a lot of stuff's been happening lately... Yesterday, Jessica was annoying me, so I just sort of snapped. I'm sorry if I worried you, Daddy..."

"Awe, it's ok." He kissed her forehead. His whiskers tickled her skin. Going back to his frying pan, he grunted. "So he dumped you then? Ah, I'm sorry to hear that sweetie. But if he doesn't realize just who he's letting go, then that's his loss. He'll be regretting it, you mark my words."

Bella gave him a warm smile. "Thanks Dad. Do we need anything from the market?" After a breakfast together, Bella made a list and stepped outside to head off to the store. Despite the sun, there was still a considerable amount of snow on the ground, the bright sun acting as a farce to feign warmth. So, she dressed warmly and left her home. She got only two or three feet, when she realized that she wasn't supposed to leave unsupervised. She frowned, looking to the sky. There was no way they would attack her on such a bright day. Still... She tapped her lip and sat on her porch steps, before flipping open the phone and dialing Jacob's number. She really didn't feel like bothering him, but the last time she did something she wasn't supposed to (taking off her cross) she heard about it. She'd rather not go through that again. Not after she and Edward had moved into such a friendly place. After a short conversation, Jacob agreed to come along and picked her up. It wasn't that far to the store, so Jacob offered to take her somewhere along the way. Bella insisted that she didn't want to be a bother, but Jacob was adamant.

"Might as well," he said as they came to a stop sign. "I drove all the way out here." He smiled at her. "Or do you just want to take advantage of my kind heart without doing anything to repay me?"

Bella rolled her eyes, a smile twitching on her lips. "Alright, fine. Where do you want to go? And just so you know, I already ate..."

"Hm... well how about some coffee?" Jacob suggested.

"That sounds ok." Bella wasn't much of a coffee drinker, but she enjoyed a hot tea now and again. Jacob pulled up to a small coffee shop and parked just outside. The two then shuffled into the cafe and put in the orders. They then took a table in the corner, sitting across from one another. Bella got a good view of the shop from where she sat, as well as through the window, the name of the place backwards on her side of the glass. "I've only come here a couple of times with Jessica and Angela," she confessed, looking at the soft brown walls. It was a quaint little place, an even mixture of modernism and a woodsy feel easily detected in the air. There were several framed pictures along the sides, some of them showing obscure celebrities that Bella couldn't quite name.

"So how are things?" Jacob asked. Bella directed her attention to him. He had a slight look of worry in his steely gaze. "I heard you lost it yesterday at school."

Bella frowned. "Word travels fast," she remarked.

Jacob chuckled. "Not that hard for it to spread when you're being monitored." Jacob took off his gloves and ran his fingers through his sable hair. "So anyway... what happened? You went home early... without a guard, might I add." He didn't seem to happy about that part.

"Well the important thing is I got home safely, right?" Bella put her chin in her hand and told him the story of her unfaithful boyfriend. It seemed with each telling, it got easier. Bella guessed this was part of the healing process, as it were. Jacob became quite ruffled at the story, nostrils flaring.

"What a bastard," he said indignantly. "You were too good for him anyway."

"You don't have to humor me," said Bella. She sighed, tapping the table as their drinks were brought to them. "Chris... he's a nice guy. He really is. He's just..." She frowned. "...a guy," she finished.

"No excuse," Jacob snapped, hand on his cup. "None at all. If that were me, I wouldn't even look at another girl, no matter how far apart we were."

"You're sweet," said Bella with a slight smile.

"I'm serious," he persisted. "I would never do something like that to you. And last time I checked, I was a guy too."

"Well maybe you and Chris are just different."

"I'll say." Jacob took a swig of coffee. "I'm a lot different then a cheating prick, I'll tell you that right now."

Bella laughed a bit. "Easy now. You're more upset then I am."

"I can't help it!" Jacob continued. "Hell, Bella! I've known you all my life, practically. To see you pushed around like that... Dammit, it just makes me pissed!"

Bella put a hand on his. "Woah there, Fido," she joked. He sighed and looked out the window, his jaw still tight in frustration. "Listen... I appreciate it. I really do. It's nice to know that you care about me." She smiled kindly and he looked to her. "But I'm fine. Really. I had a little blow up yesterday, but I'm still surviving. I'm tough!" She then held up an arm as though flexing. A humorous gesture, as she barely had fat on her arms, let alone muscle. That got a bit of a laugh out of Jacob and he shook his head. A thought came to Bella after that. "That reminds me." He looked up from the rim of his drink. "Jacob..." She glanced around and lowered her voice. "Well... I've been thinking. I've come across the nomads a couple times, and all I can do is hold my cross and hope they're not hungry. Is there anything I can do?"

Jacob sighed. "Short of caring a large stake with you everywhere you go? Not much."

"There's really nothing I can do?" Bella wasn't expecting that. She was certain that there could have been something more she could be doing to protect herself.

"Afraid not," Jacob grunted. There was a silence as Bella stared at the cup in front of her. It was disheartening at the very least. She was hoping that she could do more then cower and hide behind her body guards. Jacob leaned forward and gently took her hand. She looked up to his smile. "Hey... don't feel too down. Anyone else in your position wouldn't be able to get through the day without freaking, much less see what they could do to help."

"I just feel like such a damsel in distress." She sighed, propping her chin in her hand.

"Trust me," said the boy. "You're a lot more heroic then you know."

Once they had finished their drinks, they went to the store and filled up on groceries, all the while, Bella wishing she could pick something up for Edward as well. He had been so sweet, staying over night for her. She knew this was the case. Why else would he risk waking up to the sun? But short of decapitating a rat and pouring the blood into a wine glass, she wasn't sure what she could do. Once the shopping was over, she spent the rest of the day making up with Jessica. She assumed she'd be sore after Bella had called her a dumb bitch in front of the whole class. And boy was she right. Jessica just about had a tissy fit ten times over when she called to apologize. But after a half day or so of talking – and Bella having to retell the story of her heartbreak – all had been forgiven. She then snuck into the bathroom to check on her sleeping Dracula.

He hadn't moved from his spot all day. Perhaps the most he had done was shift spots. She wished she could do something to block the sunlight through her window and convince him to come to bed. However... she guessed sleeping in a bath tub was quite similar to sleeping in a coffin. Although, many coffins had velvet or cushion lining. Then again, when she peered into Alice's room, she noticed that the vampire had a bed, not a coffin. Maybe the whole thing was just hype and superstition? She slipped out of the bathroom, not wanting to wake him up, and spent the final daylight hours doing her homework. She had an English paper due in two days that wasn't even being close to done. Once she had finished a few good paragraphs, the sun had set behind the canvas of trees. Just as she was putting away her books, she heard a shuffle from within the bathroom. Looking up, she spotted Edward slipping into her room, yawning widely and rubbing his sunken eye.

"Evening," said Bella pleasantly.

"Morning," Edward grunted. He found himself on the edge of the bed and yawned a second time, patting his open mouth.

"Sleep well?" she inquired.

Edward shrugged. "I slept ok." He looked to her. "What about you? You seemed fine through most of the night..."

"I was out cold," said Bella, pulling her legs in to cross. She smiled kindly. "I can't thank you enough for staying with me last night. It meant a lot."

Edward stared at her for a moment and then looked away. "Oh... well..." He rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. "Just... doing my job, you know?"

Bella kept her smile. They both knew that a vampire couldn't enter a human's dwelling without being asked. The reason Edward needed permission every single time he came in. So she would have been perfectly safe without his presence. "Doing his job" indeed...

"Well I do appreciate it," she continued. She paused as she heard Edward's stomach rumble. "Hungry?" She still felt bad for not doing anything to help him with that.

"I haven't eaten in a week," he confessed. Bella blinked in confusion.

"Wait... but I thought you brought blood to school with you? In your thermos?"

Edward sighed. "It's different then feeding," he explained. "That blood... it's stationary. It keeps me alive, but it's hardly a meal." He paused. "It's sort of like... If you ate toast every day and that's all you ate, but then every once and a while you got hot pancakes and sausage."

"Now you're making me hungry," said Bella lightly. "Speaking of which, I was about to go down for dinner." She paused. "Why don't you do the same and then... well then can you come back?" She felt selfish for asking for another one of his nights, but she couldn't help herself. Even now, when she was calmed and at ease, she still requested his presence. She was afraid she'd go back into what she left behind that night. It almost scared her, going back to being that angry.

"Sure," he agreed without so much as hesitation.

"Really?" Bella perked up, smiling brightly at him. "Thank you, Edward..." She leaned forward and hugged his neck. He stared at the ground and she looked at him. "Something wrong?"

"I'm... just kind of confused." Bella let him go and sat on her knees, looking at him. "I... haven't really had physical contact like that in a long time... and even then it wasn't like what you just did..."

"What? Hugging you?" Bella frowned at him. "You've never been hugged before?"

"Well I have," Edward explained. "Just not so..." He paused. "Innocently. At least not in such a casual, friendly way." He stood, rubbing his face. "Ah, I'm not making sense. I'm sorry. I'll go now."

Bella stood as well, taking his hand. He looked to her, eyes curious. Leaning in, she once more kissed his stone cold cheek. "I do it when I want to be close with someone..." She felt heat rise to her face. That didn't exactly come out right. "Erm... what I mean is... When I like them..." That still didn't sound right. "Ugh... when they're important to me." That sounded... a bit better.

Edward just stared at her. "I'm important to you..." he repeated. It was more of a statement then a question.

"Of course you are," she said. "You're... well..." She looked down. "I know I said you didn't have to be... but I'd like to think of you as my friend." She chanced a look back up to him. He was staring at her, the same, unreadable face he wore that moment in the truck. Then, his lips turned up into that rare, gentle smile that he wore right after it.

"Yeah... I'm your friend, Bella." This time, he put his lips on her cheek. It caused her to become more flustered then she probably should have been, his cold lips shocking to her hot face. He opened the window and perched on it, his figure darkened by the puce and pink light of the late sunset. "I'll be back later. I promise."

He had said it with such sincerity, Bella had no choice but to believe it.

Review, review, review!! Thank you!

~T.


	17. The Life of Edward Cullen

EPICLY LONG PRE-NOTE:

Ok, for those of you who have been wanting to see longer chapters, I am here to appease. Well... technically this is going to be in two chapters. I was going to make it one long one, but what can I say? I'm a review whore. XD So I'm making this a two-parter. On a side note, thank you for all the reviews! I love hearing feedback from my audience!

PS – and I do know that the "lion and the lamb" line is a bible reference. Original? Well... no, not really. Any kind of bible metaphor or reference in literature is sort of a cliché by now. Not to mention it was done horribly. I actually read a very interesting article about how the perfect Cullens were actually based on the ideal Mormon family. Oh, and I'm not ruffled at the comment or anything. I found it to be enlightening and refreshing. : )

**Seventeen: The Life of Edward Cullen**

**B**ella hadn't been to the lumber yard before. When she was younger, she past by it on a couple occasions, but they never went into the lot or spoke to any of the workers. It was abandoned now for faulty equipment. Renovations were supposed to take place, but the legalities of the whole thing slowed it to a complete stop. Perhaps this was why she jumped at the chance to go that night at dinner. After having a strange – yet very pleasing – moment with Edward, Bella came downstairs to help her father with dinner. He was currently on the phone, and didn't look too pleased. He was currently trying to push mashed potatoes onto a plate while cradling the phone on his shoulder and balancing himself on a crutch. Bella, realizing that her father would more then likely let the pot fall to his foot, took it from him and served dinner while he spoke.

"Are you sure you can't go, Steve? It has to be done by tomorrow..." He sighed, setting his crutches aside and falling to his chair. "I know... I'm sorry you're not feeling well, but Jason's out of town... And I think Mary's baby is due next week..." He rubbed his forehead. "Well... I think I can go notify them... Might be a bit of a hassle, but I can do it... Yeah, I'm sure..." He frowned, letting his hand drop to the table. "Steve, I'm limping, not dead. Of course I can drive. My foot still works. Anyway, I'll let you go then. Drink fluids, and I'll check up on you Monday. Get better." He hung up the phone and set it aside. "I'll be out for a bit tomorrow," he commented before starting to eat. Bella looked at him curiously.

"What for?" she asked, pouring ketchup on her meatloaf.

"Well, Mr. Willard needs a notice for his old lumber yard. The county's planning to tare it down for a park or something... Why he still owns the old thing, I have no idea. Kids sneak in all the time. Anyway, Steve's out with the flu and my other two deputies can't do it. Looks like I'm going to have to do it."

"How long a drive is it?" Bella asked. She was obviously worried about Charlie's safety. For more reasons then one.

"Not too bad," said Charlie with a shrug. "Maybe twenty minutes... Half an hour with the snow." He took a bite of food and salted his green beans. "Probably gonna have to miss the pre-game show..." he muttered, frowning at his plate. A smile tickled Bella's lips. Missing Sunday sports would be made illegal if Charlie had his way. Bella leaned forward and took his hand.

"I'll do it," she said kindly. Charlie looked at her.

"Oh you don't have to, Bella," he began. "Besides, it'd be better if someone from the precinct gave it to him. Legalities and such..."

"I'd just be a messenger, right?" Bella argued. "You could write a note telling him that no one else could give it to him."

"Even so," Charlie continued. "I don't want you to go out of your way or anything..."

"Not at all," she reassured him. "You just focus on your pre-game show, ok? I'll handle it, no problem. Who knows, I might even pick you up something, if you're good."

He laughed a bit at that, taking a swig of his beer. "Well if you really want to... I'll print out directions for you and write the note tonight. Then tomorrow, I'll give you the envelope to give to him. Though I must warn you, Old Man Willard can talk up a storm. My suggestion is to slip it into his mail box and run."

Bella giggled at him. "Duly noted." After a little more chatter, they cleared their plates and said goodnight. Bella wanted to be there when Edward got back. She slipped into her pajamas and brushed her teeth, thinking. He was such a strange character. One minute, he hated her guts, the next, he was staying over and giving her a shoulder to cry on. He was such a complex person. How she wanted to get within his layers and see what made him tick. Perhaps it was just her curiosity speaking. Perhaps not. She stared at herself in the mirror, deep in thought. Did he have a reflection, she wondered? And what on Earth was his dark gift? That irritated her the most of all. She was so intrigued with it, it almost killed her. After rinsing, she came out to her room, her eyes landing on the mess she made just the other night. Bits and peaces of her now demolished teddy bear were littered around the broken pieces of glass from her picture frame. She decided she might as well clean it up. More then likely, she'd wind up cutting herself. So, swiping a plastic bag from the kitchen, she began to brush up the broken remains of her last love. She paused when she held up the photograph to throw away. Jagged glass crowned its way around the wooden frame, the photograph having been slit in a few places. Her eyes lingered on Chris's face. His smile was frozen on his charming, tan face, his hair messy around his head. They had taken the picture during a sumer sunset, sitting on Chris's porch. She could still remember that afternoon...

What a sunset. She and Chris sat on his porch swing, gently swaying back and forth. The summer breeze was a sweet, warm air that gently played with strings of their hair. Chris's house was right on the edge of the desert. To Bella, it was paradise. The squeaks of the old swing were faint, humming to the melody of the orange sky and dirt brown earth. Off in the distance, the chirps of the last birds of the day were calling out to the sun, once or twice flying across the cascading warmth that the couple so enjoyed. Bella sighed, tucking her head beneath Chris's chin. He was so warm... so familiar. He breathed softly, chest pushing on her ear only slightly. His fingers played with her hair, the both of them watching the last golden rays disappear.

"Hey..." Bella looked up to her boyfriend. His rustic voice reverberated off of his breast bone, tickling her nerves. He smiled at her, his blue eyes deep and clear. "We should take a picture."

"Oh you know I'm not photogenic," said Bella, hand on his stomach. He squirmed out beneath her and let their lips connect for a moment before pulling back.

"Phooey," he said with a smirk. "You're my hot mama." She laughed as he tapped her nose, and then slipped away. He came back only moments later, a camera in his hand. He set it on the railing, having already set the timer, and took his proper place beside her, lacing his arms around her waist. After about five seconds, the picture was taken. They stared at it, their faces happy in the digital screen. Bella laid her head on his shoulder.

"You look better then me," she said with a smile. She kissed his neck. His smell was that of wood shavings and chestnuts. She loved that smell.

"Hey now," he said, rubbing her lower back. "I'm more then a pretty face, you know." They laughed together before staring back to their photograph. Chris's smile fell. "So... you're really thinking about moving?"

Her heart fell within her chest. She shifted where she sat and shrugged. "Maybe. If mom follows through with Phil... which she might." She clung to him. "Besides... Dad has always wanted me to live with him. He's just never admitted it because he doesn't want me to feel pressured."

Chris looked down to her. "But what about your mom? Don't you think she's pressuring you a bit, too?"

Bella took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. "I don't want to talk about it right now." She looked to him, her brown eyes ernest. "Let's just... sit here, ok?" He cupped her cheek and let their foreheads touch.

"Ok..." He opened his eyes and let their lashes mingle with one another. "I love you, Isabella Swan."

Bella felt a happy heat rise to her face and she smiled to him. "I love you to... Christopher Lucas."

"_I guess I don't love you as much as I thought."_

Bella pushed away a tear and trashed the photograph. Why? Why couldn't she have any terrible memories of him? She could still sense the smell of him... the taste of his lips lingering on hers. She wanted so badly to hate him. But she couldn't bring herself to. Even after all he'd done, all the promises he'd broken, all the pain he caused her... she couldn't hate him. She leaned against the side of the bed, staring at the garbage bag. This was her past. She couldn't dwell on it. It wasn't healthy. She tied a double knot on the black bag and pushed the bag into the garbage can inside the bathroom. She'd throw it away outside later. Right now, she just didn't feel like leaving her room. She flopped onto the bed, laying flat on her stomach and fixing her eyes on the wooden head board. So many memories had gone with that black bag... He had been so sweet to her. So kind and gentle... Why would he do this to her? She pushed her face into the pillow, fearing that she was descending back into her previous state. Thankfully, the tap on her window brought her back to Earth.

It didn't startle her the first few times Edward came over. Perhaps she was getting used to his visits? She turned her head away in order to wipe her face before walking to the window and opening it for him, inviting him in as usual. She put on a smile for him. It was a little difficult to do after her short flash back, but it got easier the longer he staid there.

"Thank you for coming back," she said sincerely. He nodded to her, glancing at where the mess was earlier. He was obviously checking to see if she had cleaned it up yet.

"I said I would," he reminded her.

"You did," she agreed. As was expected, his once black eyes were again a fluid golden color. Perhaps they faded the longer the time between feedings. "So, do you think it'll be sunny tomorrow?"

Edward thought once more, sitting on the edge of her bed. "Not sure. I don't think so, but I should double check. Why? Somewhere you have to be?"

"Well, dad needs me to go give some papers to the man who owns the old lumber yard. So yes..." She paused. "But if you can't come with, that's fine. Jacob came with me to the store. I'm sure he can come with me tomorrow too..." Her voice faded off as he turned to look at her.

"I'll be glad to go," he said, almost immediately. Bella blinked at him.

"But... shouldn't you check if – ?"

"It should be fine. I'm going."

Bella frowned and crossed her arms. "You're not worried at all?"

"I'll take an umbrella if I have to," said Edward stubbornly. He then muttered something under his breath. Bella wasn't quite sure what it was, but she thought she heard something along the lines of Jacob being a "filthy mutt", or something of the like. Bella sighed.

"Edward, please be a little nicer to Jacob." He looked at her, cocking an eyebrow. "I know you and he don't get along so well... but he's my friend too. So, please be a bit nicer. At least don't call him stuff like that."

Edward huffed and looked out the window. "Fine. But I'm still going with."

"Whatever." She flopped onto her bed, letting her eyes close. There was a silence in the room. She didn't feel Edward stir from his spot. Finally, she turned on her side to face him. "Thank you." He glanced over his shoulder.

"You already said that," he pointed out.

"Yeah," said Bella, "but I wanted to say it again."

"Why?" He seemed to be sincerely confused.

Bella shrugged. "I just really appreciate it is all."

Edward frowned. "Well quit it. It's irritating."

Bella tossed a pillow at his head, which he caught. "Alright, fine. I'll stop thanking you." She rolled over on her other side, pulling the second pillow to her chest. There was another long pause. Behind her, Bella could feel the springs lower. Edward had laid down.

"Sorry," he sighed. "You're welcome."

A small smile came to Bella's face and she sat up. With a grin, she poked at his chest. "Cream puff."

They spent the rest of their night talking to one another, until Bella's eyes refused to stay open. She didn't know when her head fell to his chest, but when she woke up that morning, she could hear a rhythmic breathing below her. She blinked, glad that it was foggy that morning. Focusing her senses, she realized that there was no heart beat. Not one that she could decipher, anyway. She tapped on his stomach, but not to wake him. She was simply content, laying in his presence for most of the morning. Soon, however, it came time for her to leave. After her morning rituals, she roused Edward, and the two of them slipped into her rickety truck and headed out. Edward yawned a couple of times. It was obvious he was used to sleeping in on Sundays.

"The second exit's easier," he said, patting his mouth, mid yawn.

"What?" Bella glanced at him as she drove.

"The map you have?" She looked to her paper. "It's the long way. Go to the second exit. It actually shaves off a mile."

She looked at the exit signs and spared him another look. "You sure...?"

"I've lived here for at least ninety years," said Edward. "I'd like to think I know where I'm going."

Bella rolled her eyes but took his word for it. Remarkably, they arrived there ten minutes or so before they said they'd be there. From off the main road, Bella moved onto a dirt laid pathway, the gravel and snow crunching beneath her chained tires. Thankfully, the rusted gate was open, so they were able to drive right into the lot. Even though the windows were up, the distinct scent of pine and saw dust was prevalent. Even more so when the two got out of the truck. To the left of them sat the old mill. Old, rotting piles of cedars and redwood were piled in stacks, some actually deteriorated in half, clinging to the chains that bound them to the rest of the pile. Smoke stacks which hadn't seen action in ages sat atop the roof, lonely and cold. The windows were boarded with ply wood, marked up a bit by neon spray paint. And to the right of them sat a tiny hobble. Once used for an office, more then likely, the shanty was now a house, a make shift mail box stuck unevenly in the muddy snow. Bella was going to slip it into the tin container, but it wouldn't quite fit, and she was worried about folding anything. So instead, she decided to just slip it under the door. She paused, as though waiting for the door to swing open. It never did. She was somewhat relived, considering what her father had warned her about. At the same time, she hoped the old man wasn't dead. But, peeping through the window, she saw a crotchety geezer with only half a head of hair laughing loudly at a blue television screen. With a light smile, Bella brushed herself off and turned to tell Edward that they were done. But he hadn't seemed to hear her. His eyes were plastered to the sky. For the first time, they were frightful.

The clouds, which had been sturdy all that morning, were beginning to part.

Before Bella could blink, Edward sped off, vanishing into the doorway of the saw mill, which was a good fifty feet away. The quickest shelter he could find. After all, he didn't need permission to enter into an abandoned building. Bella quickly followed him, closing the door securely behind her. She looked around, a must filled smell now surrounding her. She put a hand to her nose, the floorboards creaking beneath her in irritation. "Edward?" she called. She moved carefully so as not to bump into anything. The old mill had chains that hung from the ceiling, and rusted tools laying about the floor. An old conveyer belt lay useless in the middle of the place, a couple of hard hats tossed to the side. "Edward?" she called again, a couple of boards beneath her almost feeling as though they were about to cave in.

"I'm here..." As if from nowhere, Edward merged into the faint light. He had stripped himself of his jacket, the thing now laying atop an old supervisor's chair. He wore nothing but a light tank beneath it, revealing his bony shoulders and thin ams. He rubbed his forehead. "I didn't think it'd get sunny all of the sudden... But at least we're at the mill."

Bella nodded. "I'm sorry I asked you to come," she said, fiddling with her hands. "I didn't want you to risk it..."

"My fault for not checking the whether." Edward slumped down to the floor, a cloud of dust rising in his wake. Instead of sitting with him, Bella turned and began to explore the mill. What a strange old place. Dust covered everything, and world around her told a story of what once was. Bella wondered what happened there. What stories were told between these old walls? How many lives had passed through the same room again and again, day after day, the world turning as they moved? Old buildings had this sort of affect on Bella. It made her imagination run off – like a child's would. How many men worked with their sons? Were there lives lost here? Perhaps there would have been more, if their coworkers had not made daring rescues to save them. Machine malfunctions and such. She imagined a man getting word that his wife was in labor. How excited he would be. He would run off, the other workers – like a family – cheering him and telling him to name the baby after them. He'd come back to work a little later with pictures that he paraded proudly about the work place. About eighteen years later, that same man would be just as proud. His son was going off to fight in the war. He was worried, obviously, but his pride was far outweighing of his fear. Fast forward a year. The man, now a bit worn and tired, works without so much as a word. He hadn't heard of his son in four months. Was he alright? Why didn't he call? That's when his supervisor comes to him with the bad news. His wife was on the phone – hysterical. Their son was dead.

Bella blinked and gave herself a mental shake. Why did her day dreams always have to end so tragically? She rubbed her temple and looked to Edward. His eyes were on her, curiously. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

Bella shifted and then shrugged. "Just zoning out I guess." She tapped the wall a couple of times. "I was just wondering what life might have been like here." She leaned against the wall and mindlessly began to bounce off and on it. It creaked each time she made contact.

"I can tell you if you like," said Edward. "I was here for the most part... I didn't see it get built, but I've seen it evolve and die." He eyed her actions. "Bella, don't do that."

"Do what?" she asked, continuing to bounce back and forth.

"The walls are weak. Don't slam up against them."

Unfortunately, his words had been drowned out by the wham of her back on the wall. In a teetering crack, the wood behind her began to splinter and finally gave way. What Bella didn't realize before they entered that part of the mill was up on a slight cliff. She screamed, her eyes wide as she fell with the splintered bits of wood. She had fallen for only a second or two before she felt something grab her, and turn her violently in the air. She collided with the ground, something breaking her fall. She bounced up and rolled off to the side. For a moment she couldn't breathe. She laid on her side, staring out in front of her. She was brought out of her shock, however, by a blood cuddling screech. She got to her knees and quickly turned her head. There, she saw Edward, writhing on the ground and crying out in pain.

He gripped the dirt, his fingers digging deep into the earth. His fangs were even longer, as though a natural reaction to his affliction. His white skin was quickly turning red, the veins in his face popping out of his skin. Bella could see small bits of steam rising from his body, and his skin actually began to bubble. It sizzled and hissed, the bright rays of the sun cooking it like bacon. Bella needed to act quickly. She spotted a thick, blue tarp that covered an old fork lift. Yanking it down, she ran to Edward and draped it over the both of them. He panted, giving out the occasional yell of agony from his burn. Bella sat on her knees, wanting badly to help him. But there was not much she could do. So she sat, waiting, until it was over. Her heart panged at his anguish. After all he had done for her, it was hard for Bella to just let him be hurt like this. Finally, the red went away. Now, his skin was simply a faint pink. His jaw muscles were still a bit tight, and his nostrils flared, but he wasn't crying out anymore. He was soon relaxed enough to sit up, his breath coming more normally.

"I'm sorry," said Bella earnestly. "Are you alright?" He didn't answer right away. But soon he said he was fine. "Are you sure?" She gently tapped his forearm. He winced and drew it away. "Sorry..." she repeated.

"It's fine..." He sat back on his hands, looking down to his arm. The pink was slowly fading away. "Should be all better in a little bit. I heal pretty face. This was just a little sun burn. Nothing serious. I'm a quick healer, anyway."

Bella looked him over. "But... if it was something serious?" she asked, tentatively.

Edward glanced at her. "Well... if it was something serious, I'd need fresh blood. Or else the healing process would be long and very painful... But it's only for something that would be fatal. No worries." Bella pulled her knees to her legs with a nod. She was glad he was all right. "In any case. Looks like we'll be stuck here for a while. What do you want to do?"

Bella twirled a piece of her hair. She looked up to the blue tarp, the sun shedding light above them. "Hm... well..." She turned her eyes back to Edward. In the cyan tint, he looked almost ghost like, blending in well with the back drop they were shrouded in. "I'm curious."

"About what?" asked Edward.

"You," she replied simply. She crossed her legs and laid them flat, hands in her lap. "For instance... How long have you been alive? You know... from the time you were born human to now?"

Edward gave a faint chuckle. "Oh well now let's see... I was born in the spring of 1902, I think. Or was it 03? So... I'm about a hundred and seven or a hundred and six. Give or take."

"Wow..." she said, her chin between her hands now. She had never taken the time to examine the time span that Edward had lived. It was mind blowing when she looked at it. He must have seen so many things... "Tell me about your life."

He laughed outright at that. "All of it?"

"Alright, let's start with the mill then. You said you've seen most of it? Tell me..."

And so he began to speak. He talked about how he'd watch as the workers all left at sunset. On rare occasions, he watched them enter just before the break of dawn. It had once stood proud among the trees, smoke billowing from its stouts. Its whistle could be heard for miles. The smell of fresh cut cedar was intoxicating. Almost as much as blood was. He had moved to Washington just when he reached his thirteenth year. They had moved from Oregon, and it wasn't all that much different. His original name was Edward Landry, named after his biological father, Ed. He had no brothers, no sisters. His mother was much like Esme, but with a much sharper tongue. Up until his first teenage year, nothing really caught his interest in either state. The only thing that really captivated him was that mill. He had worked there for a while when he was still human. He could still remember a few of the jokes that passed from co-workers to co-workers; the smell of their sweat as they pulled chunks of redwood in for chopping. It was his second home. Murphy, a young man a few years older then he, showed him the ropes. It was the first non blood related person he considered to be family. His mother didn't like the idea of him dealing with such dangerous things, but his father couldn't stop talking about how proud he was of him. He had been enlisted into the war by the time he was sixteen. Murphy enlisted as well. He was excited, his mother hysterical. Despite the enlistment, he never once saw combat. He and the others who went with him were traveling by boat to Europe when they were caught in a storm. It tore their ship apart. He had floated for days on the spare pieces of the ship before a fishing boat spotted him. Murphy was not so lucky. When he came home, he was ashamed to show his face. Too ashamed to reenlist. What would they think? A young recruit who couldn't so much as get past international waters? Who never fought for his country? He didn't even take solace in his beloved mill anymore. He did chores around the house, keeping mainly to his mother's side. What had built up in the half year between the ship departure and his seventeenth birthday, was loathing. At himself, at the cruel fates that took his friend... He began to despise the world. Then, just one week after turning seventeen, their house was broken into. He couldn't recall the names or faces of the nomad vampires that attacked them. All he could tell was that the smelled of rotting corpses and dead fish. His father tried to ward them off, but it was no use. He was dead before he hit the ground, his neck broken and throat leaking blood. Edward then did his best to protect his mother. They captured him and made him watch as they devoured her. After which, they turned to him. After eating their fill, they left him for dead. For a full day, Edward was immovable on the floor of which his dead parents lay beside him. That night, another stranger entered his home. Edward, despite his handicap, glared at him. All of his resentment for not being able to help his country – all of his anger at that storm for killing his friend – it had boiled over, seething through his pointed glare. But the man was not vicious or feral. He offered him a chance. A chance to live again. To right the wrongs of his conscious. Edward took it. Though he would never reveal the reason to Carlisle, the reason he wanted to live was so that one day, he could kill the sons of bitches that took his parents.

Bella sat there, mouth slightly gaped at his story. What a tale. And that was only when he was human. Bella swallowed – her mouth was dry at the moment. "What happened after you were turned?" she asked.

"After I was turned..." he repeated. "Well... first I was scared. Petrified, even. I spent the first few years getting adjusted to myself. That's when the twenties rolled around." A little smile came to his face. "What a time. Now that I was used to my new body, I was restless. I wanted to explore this... new life that I'd been given. Perhaps it was selfish of me, but I had already forgotten about my parents murder. I still carried with me the mentality of a teenager. I still do, to some extent. Finally, Carlisle let me go to New York. Man oh man... what a party it was. I was young and full of energy. Thankfully, the city didn't really come to life until the night time. Carlisle had a good amount of money for me to use as rent so that I could sleep in the day undisturbed. God you should have seen New York in the twenties. Up town were flappers and jazz and parties. Downtown, underground fights and rugged freedom. Feeding was hardly a challenge. Get a girl liquored up enough and do a little necking in a dark corner of a room... Easy meal. I never killed anyone – I don't think. I just took enough to last for the week or so."

Bella snorted in laughter. "So what you're saying is... you used to be a playboy?" She laughed a bit more. "Ah.... Sorry, I don't mean to laugh. You just don't seem like the type is all." Not one bit, in fact. Where was that Edward? The one who seemed to be fun loving and risk taking? What she wouldn't give to have seen him like that. He smiled ruefully.

"Well... I'm not the type," he admitted. "I was going through a wild streak, I guess you could say. But it got old, after a while..." He ran his fingers along the top of the dirt. "I was raised in a small town... Two of them. I wasn't meant for that fast paced life. So after about seven years of running around, I returned to Carlisle, only to find Esme waiting at his side. A couple years later, he showed up with Rosalie. Then... the thirties."

"The Depression?" asked Bella carefully.

"Well... yes," he said. "But a financial depression wouldn't hurt us. We didn't need money to live, considering that we had our own home." His face became softer... more reserved. His voice became quieter, and his eyes became gentler. "No... what the thirties meant to me was not the Depression."

"What was it?" Bella was on the edge with curiosity. What could have Edward so gentle in his deposition? He looked at her for a moment and then stared at the blue tarp around them.

"Her name was Annabell Susan McCleary..."

And this is where I end it XP Review me!

~T.


	18. Annabell Susan McCleary

Alrighty, I'm back. For those of you who have asked questions, prepare to have them answered. Oh, and I meant to add a link to the article I read, but it wouldn't stay for some reason. Anywhos, enjoy!

PS – I changed the rating to T. It didn't feel like a K+ story to me anymore.

**Eighteen: Annabell Susan McCleary**

"**I** met her in the winter of 1933," Edward continued. "The day we met, we didn't say a word to each other. But we both shared something on a personal level. By that time, I was back in Washington with Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie. We built a building with no windows right in the middle of town. We used it as a soup kitchen. Malnourished people were bad meals. Or worse, they may try to hunt the animals that we were using as replacement food. So it was in everyone's interests that my family and I fed them..."

The clouds that hung over Forks were thick. It hadn't snowed yet, but it was considerably cold. Well, back then it wasn't officially Forks. It was a plot of land where make shift houses and scattered bon fires. Shanties and hobbles stretched for yards, piles upon piles of junk flooding the sides of the shabby homes. A few cars were seen every now and again, arriving and leaving. Why any human would want to stay in a place where it got so cold was beyond Edward. He didn't mind the cold; it was better then the sun. Even so, it made no sense for him that humans staid there. Currently, he, Rosalie, Carlisle and Esme were serving the moving line through their soup kitchen. It was a simple job in a simple building. There were two doors. One where the people came in, the other where the people came out. They kept drapes over the door ways in order to block out the sun when it was warm. Above them was one small lightbulb, dangling from the ceiling. Edward had bread duty today. As human after human past him, he put a small roll on their tin plates. He was just glad that Rosalie was dishing out the stew. It smelled vile to him. Even Esme's coffee smelled better. He went through his work quietly, listening as his mother and sister greeted the humans with smiles and small talk. In the back room, he could hear Carlisle making batches of beans for that night's dinner. It was routine for them now. Get up, make food, serve food, make more food, and hunt when all the humans were asleep. Edward was glad that his wild streak was over and done with by that point. If he had been as restless as he was before, there would be no way he would stand for such a monotonous pace on his new life. Aside from the clamor of tin and the murmur of steady voices, nothing seemed to break the atmosphere. Well, almost nothing.

"Don' worry!" came a slightly loud, female voice. There was a definite mid western twinge to the dialect, the speaker probably from one of the Dakotas. It was a voice Edward hadn't heard before. "We'll be outta this dump in no time! Then we'll be on our way to Cally-fornia!" Edward peered to the in door, and saw two strangers walk in. Both were girls. The one who was speaking was a tall, thin girl, with short blond hair and blue eyes. She looked perhaps sixteen or so, her teeth slightly yellowed from ill care or smoking. She continued to talk about how she was going to California to become a star in the movies. She was certain she had all the right talent for it, and they'd never have to go hungry again. Beside her was a smaller girl, listening quietly to the elder's banter. This one caught Edward's eye.

She was young, that was for certain. Though she was probably older then she let on to be. Her clothes were ragged and mismatched, her messy, sandy hair in two braids off to the side. Freckles clouded her round cheeks, her nose red from the cold. Her eyes were a soft, lily pad green, her ears slightly smaller then normal. She was more focused on getting food then she was listening to the other girl speak. When they got to the bread rolls, she hungrily took two. The older slapped it out of her hand.

"Now come on!" said the older girl. "Ya can't take more'n ya need!"

"But I'm hungry!" she pleaded to the other. She had the same, mid western accent. "There's a lot here, Daisy! C'mon!"

"Don' be selfish," she snapped. Taking her tin plate, she turned on her heal and strode out. Crestfallen, the girl turned with just one bread roll and started to move to the out door. Edward looked at his tray and grabbed a roll. Moving to the other side, he tapped her shoulder. She turned around, her green eyes wide at him. With a smile, Edward tucked the bread roll into one of the girl's large pockets. She seemed to have been wearing a man's coat to keep herself warm. The girl's face brightened, and she scampered off, out from the soup kitchen. Edward wasn't quite sure why he had done that, but he felt good about it. After all, they were left with a generous supply of bread every day once they were finished, and often had to reuse it the next day lest it rot, which sometimes it did. Edward resumed his post at the line, but not before receiving a glance from his dear sister. Edward could tell that she had a good amount of questions ready for him. And indeed, that night when they were doing dishes, the questions began.

"So I saw you give an extra piece of bread to that girl," Rosalie began easily. Edward said nothing, but instead focused on rinsing the tin plates. The two of them were to clean up while Carlisle and Esme hunted for them. In order to get some sleep, they would often times rest up in the soup kitchen's basement. It was cold in order to keep the food preserved, but the cold didn't bother any of them. In fact, it was almost as comforting as a warm bed would be for a human. Rosalie glanced at her brother while scrubbing out the stew pot. "Why so generous all of the sudden? You know we need to be sparing of their food. It'll be a while until we have a new shipment."

"What's one bread roll?" Edward replied with a shrug. "Besides, she was hungry."

"Everyone here is." Rosalie scraped out a bit of gunk and threw it into the trash can beside the counter. "You realize that Carlisle will become irritated if you start favoring a human?"

"He did with Esme," said Edward simply. "Besides, it was one roll. There is nothing devious about giving a child a bread roll."

"For the record," she retorted, "Carlisle didn't favor Esme, no matter how much he wanted to. He kept a respectful distance."

Edward snorted. "Oh yes, because you were right there when it happened."

"You were in New York," she pointed out, waving a wooden spoon around. "They both say that Carlisle kept his space." She set the spoon to the side and walked up to him. "I know we've only been siblings for a few years now... But I know enough about you to tell when you want something."

Edward made a disgusted face. "Rosalie! The kid's probably ten! Don't make me out to be a pervert! I was just being nice..." he added in a grumble.

Rosalie held out her hands in defense. "Just my observation," she said innocently. "But seriously, Edward. Please be careful. If these humans have any reason not to trust us, we'll have no choice but to leave."

Edward tossed the tin plate to the side. "It was a _bread roll_, Rosalie. Stop being so paranoid."

"I'm just cautious." She turned on her heal and went back to work. Edward rolled his eyes and turned, washing the plates that were in front of him. Weeks passed by. Edward and the girl saw each other every day three times a day at meals. And every time, Edward gave her a little extra. An extra roll, an extra bit of soup, an extra scoop of porridge. She smiled in thanks every single time, but neither of them spoke to one another. They communicated through their eyes, their body language. Until finally, she sought him out one night. The other three were out hunting. Edward was left to gather timber for their stove and for the humans' bonfires. Though it would have been easy to just break apart trees with his bare hands, Carlisle gave him an axe just in case anyone saw him. It was like a tin toy in his hand, and he wielded it with no trouble. The blade slit through pieces of wood like butter, and soon, he had an impressive pile beside him. He was just ready to pack it in, when he sensed that someone was watching. His eyes turned to a small figure, timidly spying on him from afar. It was the girl from before. There was an odd, yet familiar silence between them. Edward set the axe down and sat himself on a stump, not even laboring for air or breaking a sweat.

"You can talk to me you know," he said loud enough for the child to hear. "I won't hurt you."

There was another pause, before the girl moved forward into the moon light. She smiled. "Hi."

Edward nodded to her. "Good evening."

She gently kicked a bit of dirt out from under her, rocking back and forth on her heals. "Whatcha doin?"

"Chopping wood," said Edward, gesturing to the pile beside him. "But I guess you already knew that. You've been spying on me."

"I ain't been spyin!" she retorted in a slight, embarrassed flare. "I was just... lookin."

He laughed a bit. "Ok, ok. You were looking." He stood and picked up the axe, playing with it in his hands. "What's your name, kid?"

"Annabell Susan McCleary," she said immediately.

"And how old are you?"

She became proud. "Twelve years, eleven months and twenty seven days."

"But who's counting, right?" He laughed again and stuck the edge of the blade into the stump he was sitting on, before taking a couple logs of wood. He could take much more, but he didn't want her to become suspicious.

"How come you're workin at night?" she asked, staring at the axe.

"I don't like the sun," he began. "I get burned really easily."

"Oh..." She stood on a separate stump and balanced on one foot. "That didn't never happen to me. Me and my sister – Daisy – we was raised on a farm in North Dakota. Till our mom died, that is."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Edward, watching her as she switched feet.

"S'ok. We get around fine." She hoped down and picked up a twig, looking at it. She seemed to be busying herself so as to not look at Edward. "After momma died, Daisy said that she was gonna take me to California to become a star in them movie shows. But I don't think we'll ever get farther then here. She talks a lot, but she don't ever really do nothin' bout it. I'm surprised we're this far." Her eyes fell once more to the axe. "How heavy's that?"

Edward blinked at the sudden shift of topics. "Oh this?" He realized that she saw him using it as though it weighed nothing. "It's a light axe. It's small, anyway."

"Let me see." She held out her tiny hand expectantly. Edward frowned at her. "I won't hurt myself! Now let me see." Hesitantly, Edward took out the blade and put the blunt end in her palm. It dropped like a stone to the ground, and she struggled to get it back up. "Well son of a bitch! This thing's heaver'n me!" She stopped herself and looked up at Edward. "Oh, I ain't supposed to swear... Couldja not tell nobody?"

Edward took up the axe and rested it on his shoulder. "Sure. I won't tell a soul."

"Good," she said, dusting herself off. "Oh and... um... Daisy don't know I'm out this late... couldja keep that a secret, too?"

He smiled. Annabell proved to be quite amusing. "Sure, kid. Not a word. Any other secrets you want kept hidden?"

"Not right now," she said with a shrug. "I'll tell you later if I do." Edward laughed a bit at that and she pouted, putting her hands on her hips. "Whatcha laughin at! I'll pummel you!" She flailed her fist threateningly, but it only made Edward laugh more.

"I'm not laughing at you," he said, waving his hand at her. Though it would have been funny to see what would happen if she tried to hit him. "Really, I'm not." He patted her head in a brotherly way. She looked at him strangely, her head tilted to the side like a confused puppy.

"You're odd," she commented lightly.

"And you're young," Edward pointed out. "Go on. Get to bed before your sister finds out."

Annabell huffed, but agreed and headed back towards the homes. She paused first and turned, looking at him. "What's your name? Ya never told me."

He kept his smile. "Edward Cullen."

"Ya ain't got a middle name?"

"Just two."

She narrowed her eyes in thought, but then shrugged it off and went to bed. Edward picked up a pile of logs and positioned them on his shoulder. With a chuckle and a shake of his head, he walked to the back door of their soup kitchen and began to stock up their timber...

"...We got to know each other over the years. She was bright, loved life and all it had to offer. In many ways, she was my little sister. I always gave her a birthday present, and she did like wise. I was there when she had her first boy, and there when she had her first heart break. Rosalie didn't like how close I was getting to her for obvious reasons, but I didn't care. I watched her grow through the gangly stages of puberty. And she watched me as I didn't change one bit. One year I had to leave. There was a clan up in Alaska that my father needed good relations with. I knew a goodbye would be hard – I'd be gone for a while – so one day, I just left. It was 1937 when I got back. And Annabell was not the awkward little girl I loved any more..."

Edward yawned as he was roused early that morning for breakfast duty. He complained that he wanted to sleep more. In his year in Alaska, he had gotten used to sleeping all day. Unlike his own family, the clan up north didn't bother with human affairs, unless they ended with a meal. But Carlisle wouldn't have that. So, with a grumble, he awoke and trudged to his duties. He constantly rubbed his eyes as he served oat meal to the humans. He was so groggy, that he didn't even notice a familiar face as she moved closer to him.

"Edward? Edward Cullen?"

He looked up to see the blossomed features of a sixteen year old girl staring at him. There was something familiar about that girl. Her eyes... were clear and green. He had seen those eyes before. She smiled brightly, her face lighting up. "Edward, don'tcha remember me? It's Annabell!"

For lack of a better expression, Edward's jaw dropped. The young woman who stood in front of him was not Annabell Susan McCleary. This was someone completely different. This was someone who had matured into... something Edward couldn't describe. She laughed at his bemusement. Her laugh was exactly the same. She locked her arms around his neck, hugging him over the counter. Her smell was the same too. When she broke the hug, she gripped her hands together, grinning. "Oh God! I thought you'd never get back! Where'dja go? What'dja do? You gotta tell me everythin!" Edward just stood there, mouth agape at her, until a man beside her cleared his throat loudly. She realized she had been holding up the line. "Ah shit... Well I gotta go. I'll meet you t'night, kay?" With that, she took her food and hurried off.

That night, Edward stood at the place where the two of them first met. As though acting as a landmark, the axe he used that night still stuck out from an old stump, the blade not as sharp as it once was. He paced back and forth, twiddling his hands about. What was he going to tell her? He had yet to come up with an alibi for the past year. What would she believe, anyway?

"Boo!" Edward looked over his shoulder as Annabell hugged his waist. She beamed at him and let go, standing with her hands behind her back. "Ya know, people round here were startin ta think you were dead."

Edward sat himself on an empty stump, hands propping himself up from behind. "I was visiting family." Partially true.

"For a year?" Annabell questioned.

"They live in Alaska." Also true.

"Oh..." She looked at the hem of her skirt, her boots out of place, as always. She really had grown up, in more ways then one. Her sandy hair was now in one long braid down her back, only a few freckles remaining on her soft skin. She was much taller now, thought not as tall as Edward, and her once tiny, child like bosom had grown to a proper size. She was a woman now. Edward wasn't sure of what to say next. And, it seemed, neither did she. She shifted back and forth on her heals, much like when she was younger. Finally, she spoke. She chose her words carefully, her eyes downcast. "Why didn'tcha write?"

Edward looked off to the side, but said nothing. "You didn't even leave a note... or tell me you were leavin. I was worried you weren't never gonna come back..."

"Well I'm here now," said Edward simply.

"That ain't enough!" Annabell looked at him, pleadingly. "You shoulda given me somethin! Anythin! You didn't leave nothin tellin me where you were! You just left!"

Edward rubbed his temple. "It's complicated."

"What the hell does that mean?" she snapped. "I was worried sick that you'd gone and eloped with some... two bit whore! Or ya died! Or – !"

"Annabell, that's enough," said Edward sternly. She shut her mouth, though kept a defiant glare. "I didn't know I would be leaving right then. It was urgent that I left. And... well I didn't think you'd be here when I got back. I thought your sister might have taken you to California by now."

"She's pregnant," said Annabell simply. "She wants ta get married now, but I think ol' Peter would rather run off to Canada instead."

"Oh..." Edward rubbed his neck and sighed. "Listen, Annabell... I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I should have. It's my fault, ok?"

Annabell shifted and turned, walking over to the stump with the axe. She tapped at the handle tip. "There've been rumors bout ya'll..." She looked up to him. "Bout yer parents and sister and you..."

This caught Edward's interest. "What kind of rumors?" he asked carefully.

She ran her fingers up and down the wooden handle. "That... ya'll ain't human." Her eyes turned up to him, her maturity showing. "In the years I've known you, I ain't once seen ya take a bite of food. Ya can't move around in the daylight... And you move heavy things like they're nothin. The rumors... are that ya live forever. That ya'll don't need food to survive..."

Edward stood there, his face stoic and unreadable. In reality, he was starting to panic. What was he going to do? She knew too much. They were being as careful as possible... But still, she figured it out. Carlisle was going to be furious. They would have to uproot and go somewhere else. He kept his emotions under control long enough to ask: "What do we eat instead then?"

There was a silence. Annabell's lips were connected simply by the top and bottom tip. "Blood," she finally said. Edward's muscles tightened. He could feel his fangs sharpen out of sheer anger and instinct. But he kept himself stationary. She began to move towards him. It wasn't until she was only a foot away that he took a step back. She wrung her hands nervously. "I... know what you are..." His chest tightened. "But I didn't never start no rumors... I swear." She looked at her boots. "I... I wanna be like you, Edward."

The tension that Edward had been feeling vanished the minute she said that. He felt himself taken more off guard then when they saw each other that day. "What?" he croaked. "Annabell... You don't know what you're asking for."

"Yes I do..." She looked up, eyes frightened, but determined. "I know that... you ain't human, Edward. But I can't live like this no more..." She shook her head. "You don't know... what it's like. You can live off of blood... we gotta stand in line and beg for food... like dogs. I sleep on the floor where the rats live. If I get cold, there ain't nothin I can really do but curl up and hope I get warmer. There ain't one night where I go to bed hungry, even with the little extra I get from you. It ain't enough." She edged forward. "My mother died when I was seven. My sister don't give a rat's ass about me, and my father walked out when I was just a baby. You say I don't know what I'm askin for... Edward I do." She grasped his cold hands. "I know what I'm askin for, Edward... I'm askin for freedom..."

He took his hands away and turned a bit. "What... you think it's easy? When I was first turned, it was hard not to think about killing myself. It's a brand new balance, Annabell. You have to learn how to live all over again. You think that if you become a vampire, all of your problems will go away? Just like that? Or is it our lure?" He edged in, angry at her for ever giving it thought. "Do you think we're fun? Beautiful, maybe? Well I'll tell you right now. We are nothing but demons who have to live off of the life of innocents – it doesn't matter if they're humans or animals, we're killers none the less. And I'll be damned if I let you become one too." He turned and was about to leave, when she said something that stopped him in his tracks.

"I'm dyin."

He froze, his stomach having dropped out from his body. He turned his head and stared at her. "What did you say?" His pulse began to race. "Did you just say... you were dying?" He could see tears well up in her eyes and she nodded.

"I... told your pa not to tell you when you got back." She held her hands to her stomach. "I'm bleedin... on the inside, I'm bleedin. It won't stop. I'm dyin, Edward." Her eyes began to leak down her soft, child like cheeks. "It hurts every day I'm alive. I can't stand it no more... I don't know how much longer I got. I can't stand the pain, but I ain't ready to die. Please..." She walked up and gripped his hands once more. "Don' let me suffer, Edward... please do this for me... Make me like you... So I can't feel this no more..."

He opened his mouth to protest, and then shut it again. How could he say no to that? She didn't know how tough it was to watch the world pass by without changing yourself... But that would be considered a blessing by someone prepared to die... He looked up to the moon. It was a half crest tonight. He shut his eyes, the cool wind brushing his face. Edward then let his eyes fall to hers.

"Give me your neck."

She pushed away the collar of the blouse without hesitation. She stood there, ready and willing. He slowly made his way to her, staring at her neck. Over the years... he had always thought about it. Often found himself fantasizing about tasting her blood. Her scent was intoxicating, so her blood must have been heaven. His mouth began to water as he eased closer, his arms moving around her waist. To finally have his guilty day dreams become real... He was glad his damned soul had been prejudged to Hell. That made doing this all that much easier. Gripping her tightly, he moved his lips forward and sunk his fangs deep into the crux of her neck. Oh how wonderful she tasted. The warm, gushing fluid that ran down his throat was like honey. She gasped and shivered in his grasp, gripping him even tighter then he was her. He drank deeply and greedily, his primal instincts taking over his actions. When he was done, he pulled out and moved his head up, crimson blood shimmering on his lips. He cradled Annabell in his arms, watching as her wide eyes stared at him. She began to spasm. Her irises, which were once so gentle in their color, started to drain and fade into a coal black. Her skin color also began to dwindle, taking away her charming freckles. She gasped for air, her body becoming stiff and rigid. She seized up, her mouth gaping at the night sky. Finally, her movement stopped, and she laid in his arms, eyes open, though they saw nothing. Edward stared at her as she laid against him. He had never seen a transformation take place before. He was worried that something had gone wrong. Finally, she began to blink. As though her body was turning on, she slowly started to move again, her breath jagged. She almost collapsed and leaned against Edward's chest. Her sweet, lovely smell was replaced with a sterile scent. One that he himself shared. It was undetectable for vampires, but sickly sweet for humans. When she was able to grab her footing on her shaky legs, she looked at him, amazed at what she now was. However, there was still a test. Edward wiped off his lips and held his hand to her. The smell of her blood was strong, and she licked her lips. Grabbing his wrist, she leaned in, lapping at the blood hungrily. After she had licked away any and all red on his hand, she looked up at him in awe. A smile came to her face then. She leaned forward and hugged him around the neck, gripping him tighter then she usually did. "Thank you," she whispered. He held her as well, closing his eyes. They embraced for a long time, breathing softly against one another. When they did part, it was only so much to let their noses touch. After looking at one another, they leaned forward, sharing their very first kiss...

...Bella sat in total captivation of the story, her knees tight to her chest. "Wow..." What a love story. It sounded like something out of a novel. Although... if they loved each other like that then, where was she now? "What happened?" she pressed, curious beyond all belief. Edward stared at the ground in front of him.

"I would like to say we lived happily ever after," he began again, "but it's not what happened..." He scratched his head. "Carlisle accepted her into the family. Once the Depression was over, we moved into our family home. At first, everything was ok... but..." He shut his eyes. "Some vampires... can't discipline themselves like we can. To drink human blood sparingly is... something that only a few can do. She began to show the signs of intolerance one night when we were hunting..."

...Trees flashed by them like speeding cars, the only sound being heard was the swishing of the leaves as they raced. The moon was bright tonight. It was perfect for hunting. Edward had his senses acute that night. They ran about until Annabell stopped, grabbing his arm to stop him as well. She gestured to a small clearing, and he nodded. They raced forward and stopped at the edge of it. A bear was crying, a steal trap on his foot. He limped about, clawing at air and moaning. Edward nodded to her, and without warning, they sprang to end the poor creatures misery. To give it a quick death, Edward snapped the neck before clearing some fur and diving in. Annabell followed suit, but it wasn't long before she pulled back and began to cough. She held a hand to her lips, blood falling from her lips and onto her nude body. They never hunted in clothes. The blood was so hard to get out. Edward stopped feeding and hurried to her.

"What is it?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. She shook her head, her now free hair loose behind her.

"I... it tastes terrible," she said, staring at the carcass. "It's gettin worse and worse... It tastes like... ugh..." She coughed some more, leaning against the bark of a tree behind her. "I can't describe it. It's just awful..." She looked up to him. "But I don't get it... I've been hungry lately... Even though we hunt all the time..." She shook her head. "Ya think... there's somethin wrong with me, Edward?"

Edward stroked her hair. "No, of course not..." He kissed her gently, rubbing her shoulders and fondling her. "Maybe your pallet is just a little more specific then ours." Running his fingers through her hair, he sighed and cocked his head to the side. "If it'll help, you can take some from me."

She looked at him and then nodded. "Thank you..." Leaning up, she bit into him, feeding until she was satisfied for the moment. Even if it might have been a phase, Edward was worried about her. What if her hunger became too strong? In any case, they'd have to find a way to keep her satisfied, or something terrible may become of her urges...

"...Soon, she could barely stand the smell of animal blood. Carlisle let her hunt humans, but only sparingly, and only under moderation. I let her drink from me when her hunger drove her close to the edge. Still, it wasn't what she craved, and it wasn't enough. One night... she did something that she never forgave herself for..."

"...Goddamn it, Anna," Edward hissed under his breath. He jumped from tree to tree, searching for Annabell. She had vanished from her room that night. They weren't hunting today, so why would she be out? Carlisle wanted to find her himself, but Edward was afraid he'd be angry with her, so he volunteered himself to go instead. He caught glimpses of the newly christened town, Forks. It had only been a few years since the town became official. A good hunting ground for a starving vampire, Carlisle declared it off limits to Annabell, much to her displeasure. Edward kept his ears open, searching for any sound that might lead him to her. That's when he picked up a faint sob off in the distance. He shifted in midair, and picked up the speed, running into town so fast, the human eye couldn't catch him. The sobbing became louder, and the smell of blood and tears filled his nostrils. He finally stopped at a house just a little ways off the main road to forks. Now, he was sure that even with a human's hearing he'd be able to detect Annabell's cries. He rushed in through the door, only to see a horrible sight.

On the floor lay a pool of blood, shimmering in the moonlight from the window. The smell was almost overpowering for Edward, but he restrained himself. In the middle of it was a small girl. She was perhaps four or five years of age. Her throat was cut open and bleeding, her eyes paled from death. Off in the corner, shaking and weeping, was Annabell. She was covered in blood spatter, her clothes stained with the red of the child. She cried hard into her palms, rocking back and forth, almost in insanity. Edward pulled himself together and rushed over to his love, taking her in his arms. She clung to him, simpering and screaming against his shoulder...

"...She didn't talk after that. She stopped eating all together, and instead just... wandered around the halls of our home. I tried talking to her, but it was like she didn't even see I was there. She didn't sleep. It was like she forgot how to. Late one morning, her screaming woke me up..."

...Edward had currently been laying in his bed, sound asleep, when a shrill screech broke his slumber. He bolted up, realizing the scream was Annabell's. "Anna!" he shouted. As quick as he could, he ran to the front of the house and wrenched the door open. There, laying on the grass, the sun hitting her full on, was Annabell. Her skin was steaming and bubbling, bright red from the exposure. She screeched bloody murder, her fangs flashing with each cry. She writhed and shook, her body sizzling. For a split second, Edward couldn't move. Suddenly, it snapped that she was trying to kill herself.

"No!" Edward moved to run to her, but two hands caught him. Carlisle stood behind him, grabbing his arms. "Let me go!" he demanded. "Anna! Annabell! ANNA!"

"You go out there and you die too," said Carlisle. Edward struggled and cried out her name, but it was no use. Carlisle would not let him go. Finally, her red skin turned gray, and she began to crumble in on herself. Now, all that was there was her ashes, laying in her shape against her favorite dress...

...Bella didn't know what to say. Edward stopped speaking after that. He kept his stare at the ground, his face defeated and his eyes sad. Bella suddenly began to feel guilt. Here he was with a true, tragic love story, and for the past few days, Bella had been wallowing in her own self pity. How selfish she had been. Her heart pained at Annabell's demise. Edward must have missed her terribly. He probably still did. Slowly, Bella leaned forward. Without permission, she hugged his shoulders comfortingly. He sat there for a moment before returning the embrace, laying his eyes on her shoulder. She could feel silent, hot tears run down her neck as she stroked his hair.

This time, it was Bella's turn to be the strong one.

There we are! All questions answered. Well... almost. Leave those reviews!

~T.


	19. Bait

Sorry I haven't updated in a bit. OpenOffice is being mean... Anyway. Here we are again. Please keep those reviews coming! I want to know how I do!

**Nineteen: Bait**

**E**ven when her life was threatened on multiple occasions, even when she dove into ice cold water, and even after she realized that her biology partner was inhuman, Bella had never been as fearful for her life as she was when Edward Cullen got behind the wheel of her beloved, old truck. She had no idea how the teachers to student drivers got the courage to sit beside their students, who were practically driving them to their deaths in giant, metal death traps. As promised, Bella started to teach Edward how to drive. It was a week after the saw mill incident, and Edward had grown closer to Bella through the course of that week. He walked her to her classes as he did before, but this time he didn't seem as though he was forced into it. In fact, he appeared to enjoy it. He made small talk, and smiled more often. It gave Bella such a nice feeling to know that he was happy. Even if he was faking it for her sake, she was appreciative. She wanted to try and integrate Edward in with the rest of the group, but both parties were still wary of one another. While Edward kept up his guard around anyone who wasn't Bella, the rest relied on their primal instincts of knowing when a predator was close by. Thus, she switched from table to table every other day. But this wouldn't go unnoticed by Jessica, who was still a bit resentful for their fight, despite the phone call. She questioned Bella every chance she got about the boy. Thankfully, she didn't say more then two words whenever Edward was present, so nearing the end of the week, Bella spent most of her time with the vampire to avoid questions. Soon, she hoped, Jessica would exhaust herself. In any case, Edward asked that Friday if he could practice driving. Bella agreed, and that Saturday, they took her truck to the empty lot at the school, Bella saying how happy she was that Edward jumped at the chance to drive. It wasn't long before she regretted those words.

To say Edward was a poor driver would be like saying that Niagara Falls is a leak. He couldn't quite understand the concept of _keeping_ his foot on the gas petal, rather then pressing it, pulling his foot away, pressing it again, and so on and so forth. He also turned quite sharply, causing Bella to grab onto anything and everything insight, including her seatbelt, the dash board, the handle above her door, the seat, and her own arms. She was just waiting for them to topple over and sit on the roof of the cab, or something along those lines. She had no doubt that by the time Edward finally was able to park, her face had lost any and all color. She turned her head to him, her bones stiff from being so tense.

"You've never driven a car before... ever?" she squeaked. Edward rubbed his temple, shaking his head.

"When I was your age, they were new and for the rich." He looked over to her, biting a part of his lip with his fang. "Sorry..."

Bella shut her eyes and put a hand on her sputtering heart, calming herself. "No... it's fine. It's your first time. But please try to keep your foot on the petal, ok?" She let her body relax against the seat, her breaths slow. She had almost forgot to take some during the terrifying experience.

"Thanks..."

Bella blinked her eyes open and looked over to him, surprised. "Um... It's no problem. I mean, I did say I would..."

Edward's eyes had trailed to the steering wheel. He had eaten the night before, so they were once more their alluring, golden color. A little smile came to his lips and he shook his head. "Not that..."

Bella stared at him, curious as to what he would mean. What else could he thank her for? She hadn't done anything else worthy of gratitude, she didn't think. "Well... for what then?"

Edward fiddled with the steering wheel. He picked a little at the pealing rubber of the old thing and shrugged. "Just... being there I guess." He glanced at her and shook his head. "Ah, forget it."

A warm smile came to Bella's face. She reached over and put a hand over his. He looked at her, though he did not move his head. "Don't worry about it," she said gently. "Besides, you where there for my meltdown, right? It's only fair that I do the same."

Edward kept his smile. "Right..." He paused then, his smile falling. He turned his sharp eyes out the front windshield and narrowed them. "What's he doing here...?"

Bella looked out as well, noticing Jacob Black heading towards them. Bella smiled and got out of the car, relieved to feel firm ground beneath her once more. She hurried to her friend and gave him a hug, glad to see him again. He hugged her back, though with not the force that he was used to giving. Edward slunk up behind her, and even when Bella wasn't looking, she could tell that Edward was glaring at the young shifter. "What brings you over here?" Bella asked, eager to keep the mood enjoyable.

Jacob scratched the back of his head, finding it hard to smile. Strange, as it usually came so easy to him. Bella suddenly felt as though something was wrong and asked if he was all right. He said he was fine, but sure didn't look it. He finally huffed and spoke his mind. "Dad wants to set a trap for the nomads," he said.

"Oh? Well that's good, isn't it?" She turned to Edward and put a hand on his arm, trying to ease him. "That's a good thing, right?"

Edward's glower refused to stray. "There's a catch," he grunted. Bella didn't know if he was talking to her or Jacob. The native frowned at him and stuffed his mitts into the pockets of his brown jacket.

"Yeah..." He let out a long sigh, breath trailing from his lips to the air in a long stem of fog. "He wants Bella to be the bait..."

Bella felt her heart fall from her chest. Bait? Purposefully putting her life in danger to try and trap the nomads? She suddenly got a vision of herself sitting beneath a box propped up by a stick with a string. She might as well have on a sign that said "Fresh Meat" around her neck. She opened her mouth to respond, when she felt two iron like arms clamp around her torso from behind. Edward pulled her into his chest and growled at him.

"Absolutely not," he said immediately. "She's not sticking her neck out like that." Bella was sure he didn't mean the obvious pun. "No way. Never."

"You think I like the idea any better?" Jacob snapped, shooting daggers at the vampire. "Besides, it's not like it was Dad's idea alone. Your lovely father agreed on it."

Edward's eyes became dangerous slits. "Liar," he hissed. "Carlisle wouldn't put her in danger like that. He's supposed to be protecting you and the humans, not using them like toys."

"Edward," said a familiar, female voice. The three of them turned to see Rosalie and Emmet appear as if from nowhere. Rosalie now wore a fluffy, marshmallow type jacket that was a bright, pale pink. Emmet wore his usual gray sweatshirt. They made their way over to their brother, who was giving them a look of pure disbelief. "Carlisle and Mr. Black had an agreement last night. They decided that since they value Miss Swan as some kind of toy, she would be perfect in bringing them out of hiding."

Edward's grip on her only became tighter. Bella felt the circulation to her arms cut off, but didn't say anything. She was too afraid to tell him to let go. "Eddie..." said Emmet calmly. "It's not like she's going to be there all on her own. You, me, Alice and Dad'll be there to catch them. That's why it's called a 'trap', you know."

Edward looked at him helplessly, opening and closing his mouth as if to say something. He shook his head and pushed his eyes to Bella's neck. He was acting like some child who didn't want to let go of his favorite play thing. Bella remembered him talking about still having a teenaged mentality. Maybe because he had lived so long, it moved between a mature state of mind to a childish one. He could very well be unstable because of it. Then again, Bella wouldn't know. She'd never lived to see a century. Not yet anyway. Then again... maybe mentality had nothing to do with it. He had told her about his first love, as did she. It wasn't like before, where they had no real connection between the two of them. Where they didn't talk to one another because they were both two stubborn to do so. They were both there when the other had their moment of weakness. Bella had seen him cry. Edward had seen her do the same. They had held one another through heartbreak and loneliness. To say that they continued to have no connection was simply idiotic. Bella reached up over his grasped and gently touched her fingers to his hair. He lifted his eyes so that only she could see them. She began to think.

If the nomads had done any good, it was giving her a friend in Edward Cullen. Through his gaze, she could tell that he cared – truly cared for her now. After witnessing his first love kill herself... She could imagine how uneasy he would be letting someone he had just gotten close to willingly be put in danger. Still... Bella had to consider herself in this. It was true that she feared the nomads more then anything else in her life. But it was like she said before to Jacob. She was tired of feeling like the damsel in distress all the time. All she could really do was cling to that crucifix and cross her fingers. What if she was found without it again? She was with Edward the last time, but he couldn't be with her forever. Perhaps... this was something she could do to make herself feel less helpless. She slowly took herself away from Edward's grip, silently telling him to let her go. He did, though against his will. After looking at one another for a moment, Bella turned to the other three. "One condition. Rosalie." She looked to the blond, who stared right back. "Can you make sure that my dad is safe? I know vampires can't come into a house without being invited, but I don't want Victoria or Laurent tricking him into coming in..." James didn't seem the type to be sly like that. She hoped, anyway.

Rosalie glanced at Emmet before agreeing. "Sure. I'll keep a watch on your house from a tree or something. I won't intervene unless I have to."

"And I'll be there too," Jacob added. He sulked and looked away. "I can't help with the trap because my scent is too strong. They'd be able to smell me if I was hiding. Anyway, I'll keep him company on the inside."

Bella nodded. "Then I'll do it."

"Wait a minute, Bella." Edward took her shoulders and turned her. "Please... You don't have to do this. It's your choice. No one is forcing you. Please don't put yourself in this kind of danger...!"

Bella looked at him a bit more and then smiled gently. She took his cold cheeks into her hands and leaned forward, kissing his forehead. Something she had to boost herself on tiptoes to do. When she got back down to her heals, she kept her smile. "I'll be fine. You won't let anything happen to me, right?" Edward stared at her, shoulders slumping. He then turned his eyes down and shook his head. "Then I'm safe. I know you won't let anything hurt me."

Rosalie put a hand on her shoulder and she looked to her. With a nod, the two vampires turned and walked off, easily making their way to the forest. Bella turned to Jacob, who was glaring off to the side. Bella was sure he was angry that he couldn't be there. She tore from Edward and patted his arm, giving him a friendly smile. "Don't make your dad worry. Go on." Jacob looked at her for a moment before glowering at Edward. In a sudden movement, he lurched forward and gave Bella a swift kiss to her lips. He then turned on his heal and moved to his truck, slipping into the driver's seat and driving off. Bella was left in a slight state of shock. She turned her eyes to Edward, who was staring at the black truck, mouth agape. They made eye contact and Bella touched her lips. There was a silence between the two of them. Finally, Bella began to laugh a bit. She felt as though things were suddenly less tense, some how. She moved over to the truck and got back in her seat.

"Come on, Edward," she called. "You still have a long way to go!"

Here you go. Yes, I know, it was another short chapter. But hell! I gave you two ten paged chapters in a row! (dies) Review!

~T.


	20. To Catch a Vampire

Sweetness! I'm almost to two hundred reviews! You know, to be honest, I didn't think I would get this far. Thank you to everyone who has given me a review! Even to those who have given me nothing but a blind flame XD Only two or three so far. Impressive, I think. Anywhos, I'm curious.

In this review, tell me two things:

1 – What you liked about this chapter and what you would like to see in the future.

2 – How did you find this story? Did you see my advertisement on YouTube, or did you just stumble upon it on FanFiction?

**Twenty: To Catch a Vampire**

**B**ella never knew that a minute could be so slow. She must have checked her phone at least twenty times before it changed from 7:43 to 7:44. Then again, time had a nasty little habit of turning into molasses whenever someone wanted something to be over. Bella shivered where she sat, leaning up against the moss ridden base of the old redwood, her only comfort for that night. That and her book. Ironically, it was a copy of _Dracula_ by Bram Stoker. She clutched it and kept her eyes whizzing, though they never fully read a line. At least not throughly. It was dusk now. The cold air constricted her as the sun began to set above the canopy that watched her every move. She knew that Edward and the others hadn't abandoned her. Still, with the silence of the trees the only thing surrounding her, it was hard to remember that she was protected. She hunched her shoulders and buried herself closer to the tree. She hoped that Charlie would be all right. Jacob and Billy had swung by unannounced that afternoon. Fortunately, there was a late baseball game on that night. Bella excused herself once they arrived, explaining she was tired. After which, she snuck up to her room and climbed out the window to be met by Edward and Rosalie. As she promised, she staid and watched the house, while Edward carried her to the spot where they were setting the trap. The snow fall was gentle. Like little bits of powder drifting to the Earth. It was the only thing calming about the entire situation. She was greeted by the other three Cullens, who would be watching her. Emmet was once more guised in his gray sweat jacket. Alice, who shadowed him, wore an emerald cloak of sorts that drifted down to the ground she stood on, her face shrouded by the hood. And Carlisle wore a long, twenties style trench coat, with the collar upturned and an old fashioned hat to go with it. They were quite the interesting group to look at. She was reassured that she would be safe, and then was set in the heart of the forest. After she settled in, the others vanished, leaving her alone with the snow and the merciless wind. There, she sat down and began to read, her fingers numb as she turned the pages.

As the sun became more and more scarce, Bella began to grow even more nervous. It went without saying that the apprehension felt by the young woman was enough to make her want to flee Forks for good. But her anxiety grew as the grayish light dwindled and she was left alone in the dark. It reminded her so much of when she discovered Edward's secret. It was the night that changed her life. What if she had not met Edward? Her life would be much easier, that was obvious. There would be no monsters that hounded her – no fears that chased her in dreams and in reality. Yet... she did not regret knowing him, or what he was. In fact, she was almost glad for it. Not glad for the nomads nipping at her heals, of course. But glad to have found a very unusual friend in a very unusual boy. She wondered if Edward felt the same? He must have, considering how he reacted when the plan was stated earlier that day. Then again, she could be misreading things. In any case, she was happy to have him by her side.

She heard a noise. Sitting up straight, she felt chills run up her spine as she hopped to her feet. Her heart bounded against her ears. She could detect faint laughter against the otherwise silent trees. It froze her to her place, and she clutched her book tightly. She could hear a rustle of leaves and a snapping of twigs. As though something quite fast was heading through the forest. She pushed her back up against the bark so that nothing could spring up from behind her. She trembled, but was prepared for what came out of the darkness. And indeed, three familiar faces made themselves known on either side of her, Laurent being in the middle. He grinned, his unnaturally sharp teeth gleaming in the moonlight.

"Haven't you learned by now that it's unwise to be out at night?" he taunted. Bella kept her mouth shut as Victoria made her way over to the human. The burn was still there, and it was obvious she was still angry about it.

"Come Laurent," she hissed, leaning in dangerously close to Bella. "Let's eat her. Right now. Or better yet, let's tare her apart and leave her for the wolves. A fitting end for a spiteful little wench, wouldn't you agree?"

Bella held up her cross. "Stay back," she ordered firmly.

"Or you'll do what?" Victoria spat.

"It is more of a question of what _we_ will do."

The three nomads turned to see the four Cullens surrounding them. They were all crouched, like tigers ready to spring on their prey. Edward looked especially fierce, his face contorted into an angry scowl. And while Carlisle and Emmet looked as though they didn't want things to escalate, Alice looked quite the opposite. A sickly smile came to her thin lips, her hands clawed out and her nails sharp and at the ready. She looked to be enjoying herself, as though fighting was a natural thing for her. All the more reason Bella had to be scared of the vampire. Victoria clicked her tongue and put her hands on her hips.

"My my," she said in a voice laced with sarcasm. "It looks to be a trap, Laurent. What will we ever do?"

A chuckle came out of Laurent's throat. "I'm at a loss, my dear. I suppose we're caught! Oh woe is us!"

"Shut up!" Edward snapped, his already short temper starting to flare.

"Why don't you make us, Cullen?" James said with a crooked smile. "Of course, we may have no choice but to harm your little _pet_ over there..." Bella could feel her chest tighten and she pushed herself even more to the tree.

"Enough," Carlisle commanded in his firm voice. A hush fell over the vampires. Even with enemies, Carlisle seemed to be worthy of the utmost respect. "We will give you a chance," he said to the nomads. "One chance to leave. If you do not, then we will have no choice but to act."

"Is that so?" said Laurent, holding his head up as though to challenge Carlisle. "Well deary dear. I suppose we don't have much of a choice, do we? Then again... we could always fight back."

"In case you haven't noticed," Emmet stated bluntly, "it's four against three. Not to mention our Allie here fights like a mad animal." He gestured to Alice, who let her lips curl back to reveal her fangs. She truly did look wild and untamed. Ready to bite off heads if needed.

"Four against three," Laurent mused. "My oh my. Well that's not much of an even fight is it? I guess I'll just have to even the odds." With a snap of his fingers, something began to happen. His form became blurry and quick bits and pieces of him almost transparent. Wind rushed and Bella could barely see what was happening. But before she knew it, ten Laurents now perched above them all, glaring down like gargoyles, while the original Laurent stood where he was, his hands raised. "Now this is a fair fight, wouldn't you say?"

"Bastard," Edward grunted, eyeing the copies above with anger. He glared to the leader of the nomads and got himself ready. "We can take all thirteen of you," he snapped.

"Really?" Suddenly, Bella felt two strong hands take hold of both of her arms. James had sped up behind her and grabbed her, Victoria holding a hand up to her cheek. That hand slowly began to grow smooth and pointed. Soon, it resembled that of a pale flesh colored blade, pressed up against her skin. It felt like the cruel metal of a sword or a knife. Bella whimpered, but could do nothing. Her hands were not free to use her cross with. Laurent continued as Edward's eyes went wide with shock. "Let's see you try. Oh, and don't be reckless. Otherwise, that little girl won't be able to talk here on out."

With a growl, the four Cullens jerked up, lunging to the copied vampires above them. Bella watched in fear. It was like an angry swarm of bees. It all happened so fast, Bella was unable to pick out just what was happening. She saw flashes of faces and bodies, and could hear the cracking of bones and swishing of figures through the air. Suddenly, she felt herself being jerked away. James had taken off in a run, the pressure of the forced air pushing on her body painfully. She tried to scream, but found that there was no air in her lungs. But almost as fast as he started, James stopped, a hiss forming at his throat. Standing before the two of them was Edward. He was a bit battered and had a cut above his eye, but still looked noble. And very very pissed. He leapt for James, causing the other to jump high in order to dodge Edward's attack. Bella watched as they bounded between the trees, lashing and diving for one another. All Bella could think to do now was run. She turned and scampered along the uneven surface of the forest floor, panting and trying hard to find her way out of the forest without killing herself. That's when she ran into the hard body of one of the Laurent copies. He grabbed her and pinned her to a tree, laughing in her face. His fangs extended, and she felt her blood run quickly. He may not be able to drink from her neck, but he could sure as hell tare out her heart with his teeth. With his mouth open wide and saliva dripping from his mouth, Bella knew that – copy or not – she was facing her death once more. That's when she noticed a large splinter that stuck out just beside her from the tree. As Laurent moved forward towards her, she yanked the piece of wood from the tree and drove it into his chest. Suddenly, his mouth closed and his eyes went wide. He screeched and pulled himself away, turning into a cloud of dust before her very eyes. The cloud then funneled upwards and directed its way back to the fight to rejoin the original. Bella gripped the sliver of wood in her hands. She had found her way to fight back.

She turned and ran back to where she could still hear the fight and peered out from behind a tree. There she saw Alice, standing calmly in a circle of Laurents. They sneered and hissed at her, but she paid them no mind. Instead, she let her eyes leer at them, her twisted smile visible from the shadow of her hood. At once, all three copies lunged for her. Her hands twitched. That was all Bella could see. But in that split moment after her hands had twitched, the Laurents stopped in midair, their heads tumbling from their necks. Alice had sliced through their throats with one swipe, moving so fast that Bella couldn't even detect it. Each one turned to dust and flew back to where the original was. Alice let her eyes fall to Bella, and the girl shivered. Never did she want to get on Alice Cullen's bad side.

Alice turned and made her way back to the battle, Bella heading back too. However, by the time she got there, the nomads were long gone. Edward glared at the tops of the trees, his jaw tight. "They got away," he growled. In anger, he hit the side of the tree with his palm. Emmet put a hand on his shoulder in comfort and he nodded, sighing. He turned his head to Bella. "You ok?" His eyes trailed to the wood in her hand.

"Yes," she said. "I'm fine." She turned to look at the object as well. "I... think I might have found a way to... to..." Suddenly, she couldn't talk. Things began to go blurry. She could hear her name being called, but couldn't quite tell who it was that was speaking to her. Her head throbbed and she blacked out, her body shutting down after such a fast paced night.

Don't worry everyone. She just got a concussion from when the Laurent copy slammed her into the tree. She'll be fine. Maybe. Leave a review as always!

~T.


	21. Blame

I know, last chapter was kind of rushed. I just wanted to get it done, I guess. Anywho, nice to know that most of you just found this on a whim. And as always, thank you for all the reviews. Let's keep them coming, shall we?!

Oh, and one of you brought up a very good point. How can Bella fight back if they're so fast and strong, TheAlphaAI? They underestimate her and don't pay attention is really the only reason. If they were less cocky and paid more attention to what she was doing, they'd be able to save themselves a lot of grief. James doesn't really get the concept until the end.

**Twenty One: Blame**

**T**he steady sound of rhythmic beeps were the first thing that Bella awoke to. She didn't open her eyes at first. Instead, she took in what was around her. The beeping wasn't the only sound she heard. Low mutterings were also audible. However, they were distant, almost low on purpose. She could recognize the voices, but barely. One she pointed out was her father's, and it was rot with worry. The other she could pull out was the deep chested tone of Carlisle Cullen. This confused her. What exactly would the two be talking about? The voices became a bit clearer for Bella, and she could make out a word or two.

"_...nothing to worry about. _She's a strong young woman. She'll make it."

"But... but _three days?_"

"Relax, Chief Swan. I've seen much worse. She's lucky she doesn't have a broken leg."

Bella's eyelids fluttered open, a groggy noise escaping her throat. At first, she was blinded by the unbearable light that seemed to come from nowhere. Then, things began to defocus. She realized that she was in a hospital bed. Her mind slowly began to click on as the blurred images began to materialize. She stared up at the faces of Carlisle Cullen and Charlie Swan. She tried to speak, but found that her voice wasn't working yet. Seeing this, Charlie grasped her hand tightly. He sat in a chair beside her bed, his crutches leaning against the wall. "Bella!" he said, relief in his tired eyes. He pressed her hand to his cheek. "Oh my baby girl... I was so worried about you!" He almost looked close to tears. Bella forced her voice to work.

"What... happened?" she asked, her eyes going to Carlisle.

"You fell out of your bedroom window," the good doctor explained, checking her vitals. "Hit your head rather hard. You have been in a small coma for only a few days. But everything seems normal, so you should be fine." He marked a couple things on his clipboard. "You're very lucky young Mr. Black came in to check on you when he did. You might have been outside all night."

Her brain slowly processed what he said. "Window...?" she repeated, her voice cracked.

"Can we come in now?" came another familiar voice. Carlisle turned and looked over her shoulder. From where Bella was laying, she couldn't see the figures that hovered by the door frame.

"Yes," came Carlisle's response. "But not too quickly. She just woke up and she's a bit lethargic." Bella watched as a few figures made their way inside. The first one, who came right up to her bedside, was Jacob. He smiled brightly, kneeling beside her and touching her face. He too shared the same relief her father did. Bella's eyes then drew away from him to the second one in the room. Edward. He, unlike Jacob, stood far away from Bella's bed, leaning against the wall. In fact, he didn't even look at her. He kept his head low, his bangs and parts of his hood hiding his eyes. This saddened her greatly. Why was he refusing to even look at her? Was he angry at her? Did she do something wrong? Things started to slowly flow back to her memory. She remembered... setting up the trap... and then the Laurents... Or maybe that was a dream? It must have been. It was so surreal. But the pain and fear... She was sure she felt that. But dream or no dream, she had no idea why Edward wouldn't look at her. _Look at me,_ she pleaded in her head. _Please look at me... Please look!_ She did not voice her desperation. Instead, a tiny tear clouded one of her eyes. It sat there, blurring her already imperfect vision.

"Charlie." Bella directed her eyes up to Carlisle, who was looking at her father. "You're tired. Don't worry, Bella will be in good hands. Go home. Get some rest."

Charlie gave him a pleading look. But fatigue and perhaps hunger too caused him to cave in. He looked at Bella and touched her cheek. "Will you be ok if I went home to get a little shut eye? I can't really sleep in the beds here." She nodded at him. Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead and wiped a tear from his own eye. He then grasped his crutches and hobbled out.

"My son Emmet will drive you home," Carlisle told him just before he left. When he was out of ear shot, Carlisle closed the door and turned to Bella. "You're very lucky to be alive," he remarked. Walking back over to her, he checked her pulse and readjusted her IV bag. "Apparently, one of the Laurent copies gave you a nasty bump on your head. You've been out cold for days. We were able to make up a story about you falling out the window. As you just heard, I'm sure."

Bella furrowed her brow and then struggled to sit up. Jacob helped her. She nodded, her brain starting to function a little quicker. "Yeah," she said. The inside of her mouth was bland – much like when she first got up in the morning. She kept her eyes on Edward. Still, he refused to look at her. "What happened to them? The nomads?"

"They got away," said Jacob sourly. He sat on the edge of the bed, taking her hand.

"Alice tried to hunt them down," Carlisle explained. "But by the time you passed out, they were long gone."

"Do you think they'll come back?" asked Bella, still slightly woozy.

"No doubt," said Carlisle. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I suppose I should stop trying to be diplomatic from now on. Now, it's nothing more then a game to them. Toying with you in order to aggravate us."

"I should have been there," Jacob said. "They knew it was a trap from the beginning anyway. If I was there, I would have wrung them out by their scrawny necks."

"Well it doesn't matter much now," said Carlisle. "I've taken your case as a favor to your father. This way, we'll be able to watch you more carefully. Any day, they might declare check mate." He turned to her. "But aside from that. Bella, you were about to say just before you fainted that you found a way to fight back? I noticed the wood in your hand, and I was wondering if you had used it as a stake."

Bella thought for a bit and then nodded. "Yeah. When one of the Laurent copies pushed me into a tree, a big sliver of wood popped out. I grabbed it and... well I guess I did the only think I could think of."

"A very smart move," said Carlisle. "It may be a bit conspicuous of you to wander around with a large stake at your side, but if you just keep yourself alert, you may be able to fight back like you've been wanting to."

Bella blinked at that statement. "How do you know about that?"

Carlisle's thin brow arched. "I'm a mind reader, remember?"

She felt a bit embarrassed. "Oh. Right..." Once more, she looked over to Edward. There was a silence before she decided to speak. "Are you ok?" He shifted but said nothing. Instead, he merely shrugged. Jacob rolled his eyes.

"He's fine," he said pointedly. "Just pouting." Edward didn't even reply with a snappy comeback. Bella began to grow even more worried. What had she done to be scorned like this?! It was driving her mad.

"Well you should get some rest," said Carlisle, gently pushing her back to her pillow. "If you need anything at all, ring this." He handed her a bell made of strange, light metal. It was rounded and small, and looked to be antique. "It's made of a combination of zinc, silver and a fine mixture of other metals. The frequency is high enough for only supernatural beings to pick up. And dogs. We'll hear it if it's an emergency. Try it." Bella took the item in her hands. It hardly weighed anything. She shook it back and forth. She couldn't her a sound. With a frown, she shook it harder and faster, until Jacob put his hands on it, a wince on his face.

"Please don't," he said, cleaning out his ear with a finger. "Some of us have very sensitive hearing."

"Oh. Right, sorry." She set it down and sighed. "I'm sorry I can't be of anymore help."

"Trust me, Miss Swan," said Carlisle. "Cooperation is all the help we need from you."

The next week or so trudged on painfully slow. Just as before, Bella's friends came to visit her often with comforting words and catch up homework. They seemed to be from a different world now. Bella had become so immersed in the world of beasts that to see her friends from school, acting normally as if it was another day... it was strange. Almost out of place. But she accepted their help and comfort willingly, assuring them that there was nothing to worry about. She still had a little trouble walking, but no other complications. Renee had called in a frenzy, Charlie having talked to her countless times about it. She called every night, making sure she was still alive, along with Charlie's daily visits. He would have camped out beside her if Carlisle let him. Jacob also came in to visit her. Even though it was against the hospital rules, he brought her a bag or two of fast food. One night – the fourth night she was there and awake – they were snacking on a couple of cheeseburgers and french fries while playing a good game of Black Jack to pass the time. It was the one card game Bella was actually good at. And though he hated to loose, Jacob played it with her, knowing that his demise was always short at hand.

"Oh, hey," he said as Bella dealt out a fresh hand. "About that kiss I gave you – the one just after we planned everything?" Bella was taken aback by the subject. The thought hadn't crossed her mind since then. Understandably, she had a great deal else to ponder.

"What about it?" she asked, sipping her soft drink.

"Well..." He fiddled with his fries before taking another bite, laughing it off. "Ah, it was just to ruffle Cullen's feathers. I hope I didn't make you feel weird or anything."

"Oh..." Bella chuckled as well. "No, no. It's fine. It was more of a friendly kiss to me then anything."

Jacob's usually bright smile seemed to fall a little bit. "Oh... really?"

She paused, her last bit of burger half way to her mouth. "Yeah..." she began. She furrowed her brow. "Wait, why?"

"No reason," said Jacob with a shrug. He grinned. "Just glad we're still on the same page." Bella's curiosity did not die, but she smiled anyway and nodded in agreement. Just as they were getting ready to play another game, a knock came to the door.

"Anyone home?" came the happy voice of Emmet. He and Rosalie made their way inside. It seemed that vampires only needed permission if they were outside first. Bella greeted them, glad to see a few more friendly faces.

"How are you feeling?" Rosalie asked, touching her forehead with her cold palm.

"Good as can be expected," said Bella simply. "Checking up on me for Carlisle?"

"He can't make it," Emmet explained. "He and Alice are trying to track down the nomads. There's a chance we can figure out where they ran off to. A slim chance, but still. We just hope they're not in a crowded city like Washington."

"It's an open buffet for us," said Rosalie, arms folded. "Well you haven't had a fever since you came out of the coma. You should be all right in a couple of days, I think."

"Thank you," said Bella sincerely. She paused and then stared down at her lap, her fingers toying with the Joker card. "Why hasn't Edward come to visit me yet?" A strained silence fell over the other three. She turned her eyes back up to them. The two Cullens were silent, their gaze turned away from hers. Her heart sank within her. So he really was angry. She didn't understand. What did she do? It had been gnawing at her all week. Edward hadn't visited once since the day she awoke. It worried her and made her depressed at the same time. Did he think she was weak? Maybe not worth it? That thought scared her a little. "I don't get it," she continued. "Why? Why is he mad at me? He's obviously mentioned something... why is he so upset with me? What did I do wrong?" She stopped as Emmet sat beside her, putting a firm hand on her shoulder.

"No, Bella," he said softly. "He's upset with himself, not you. He blames himself for what happened with the nomads." He paused and glanced at Rosalie. She nodded slightly, as if giving him the okay to say something. "He said... that he doesn't want to be around you if he can't protect you. He won't stop thinking about what might have happened..."

Bella looked at Emmet earnestly. Angry at himself? But why? He couldn't have foreseen what happened. It wasn't his fault at all! In fact, if it wasn't for him, James might have made a meal of her that night. She shook her head. "Why? I'm fine, aren't I? He shouldn't worry..."

"That's what we keep telling him," said Rosalie. "But Edward's as stubborn as an old mule. I think he's happy with blaming himself, quite frankly. The boy is so... what's the word for it? It's one of your new slang terms, I think. For someone who's really depressed?"

"Emo," said Jacob flatly.

"Right. Edward is such an emu. It's getting on my nerves." She paused. "Wait... isn't an emu a bird?"

Bella looked out the window, drawing her knees to her chest. Even though she was tempted to laugh at Rosalie's mistaken terminology. However, her heart wasn't in the mood for laughter. She turned herself back to the vampires. "Tell him that I want to see him." She put her hands on the back of Emmet's cold, clammy one. "Please tell him."

They looked at one another before promising they would. After that, they left. It wasn't long before Jacob left as well, leaving Bella to her thoughts. She looked at her cellphone as – like clockwork – her mother called. Part of her just wanted to let it ring. She didn't want to speak to anyone at the moment. But she knew Renee would be terribly worried if she didn't answer. So, she picked it up and explained to her that she was very tired. After a short conversation, she hung up and laid on her side. But she did not go to sleep. Her mind was much too fogged for rest. She stared out the window, now dark because of the night's sky. She could detect a few stars between short pieces of cloud. She wondered about them. They were such delicate things. And yet, in reality, they were burning balls of gas that could melt your face off. It was remarkable what a disguise could accomplish. She didn't know how long she laid there, staring at the stars, but soon, she found her eyes drooping and her eyelids slowly closing.

_Tap, tap, tap._

Bella's eyelids shot back up and she propped her self against her pillow. Sure enough, the face of Edward Cullen stared at her from the window. A gentle smile came to her face. "You can come in," she invited kindly. He paused, staring at the window. Then, opening it, he slipped inside an closed it back up again. He kept his back turned to her, his eyes staring out the glass. Bella shifted and crossed her legs beneath the blankets. "Come closer," she said gently. There was a silence before he did as he was told. He got within a foot of her bedside, his head still lowered. Bella scooted over and pat the edge of her hospital bed. "Sit." Again, he considered it. Finally, he did as instructed once more. Bella moved to her knees and wrapped her arms around Edward's firm frame.

"I don't blame you. Not one bit. And I don't want you to blame yourself. So please... stop being so hard on yourself. It's not your fault."

His head slowly lifted, their eyes meeting. He hadn't eaten in a while. But even as a dull black, his eyes were alluring. Bella then noticed just how sweet his smell was. It drew her in like honey, the scent nearly intoxicating. She moved a hand up and cupped his stone like cheek. He down cast his eyes to try and avoid her, but she tilted his head back up, making him do the opposite. Their faces were very close now. Despite the cold of his skin, Bella felt very warm. Without being aware of what she was doing, she felt herself gravitate towards him, and he to her. They were like magnets. When their lips did finally meet, it felt as though Bella was kissing ice. She pulled back a bit and ran her tongue along her lips, warming them up a bit. They stared at one another for a while before Edward leaned forward, kissing her once more. This one was longer and a little deeper. Bella was shocked to discover that the inside of his mouth – in contrast to his skin – was very warm. Everything from his saliva to the feel of his tongue was warm and welcoming. Almost to the point of being hot. Bella felt herself being pushed down to bed as they kissed, her fingers entangling themselves in his hair. Edward's kisses were slow and tender with a sensuality that thrilled every inch of her. She wanted more. However, he pulled away to break for air, propping himself over her. He pressed his forehead to hers, staring deeply into her eyes. Bella smiled at him.

"Lay with me." Once more, he did as she said, laying on his side, facing her. Bella touched his cool lips. "Smile... please..." He looked to her hand and took it in his own. Moving his head down, he placed his lips on her palm before shifting his head back up. Slowly, a small smile fell to his face. It was a weak, vulnerable smile. One that he had never shown before. She returned his expression and hugged him around the neck, her forehead on his chin. She could feel him smell her hair, his hands pulling her by the lower back. It was there, as she lay safe and secure in his arms, that she finally had a restful night's sleep.

There. What you've all been waiting for XD I hope you liked it!

~T.


	22. A Star

Guess what all? I'M GRADUATED! Wooo! Anyways, again, thanks so much for all the reviews. I'm over 200 now… damn… XD so awesome. I hope you guys like what I have in store!

Oh, and about the spelling – I do try to be careful, but sometimes I write these late at night and I just kind of want to get them posted. Also, I get it from my grandmother. She couldn't spell for shit and she was a teacher for thirty years.

**Twenty Two: A Star**

**F**or once after her comma, Bella wasn't sleepy. She sat up in bed, staring at the television blankly, while sipping grape juice through a straw stuck into a cardboard box. It was hardly an ideal life at the moment, but she supposed it was better then staring off into space. After flipping through channel after channel, however, she realized that she was wrong on the matter. So, she turned off the TV and slurped her juice until it collapsed in on itself. Setting it aside, she let out a breath, unsure of what to do. She was restless after having been in bed for a little over a weak. She glanced at her walker that was set there by a nurse. She was still having trouble getting around, but it wasn't all that bad. The walker was just to make sure she didn't fall over herself. Though every time she used it, she felt like an old lady. After looking at it for a while, she decided to move around a bit. Slipping out of bed, she gripped the handles of it and started scooting forward.

She wished that Edward was there to keep her company, but he was out hunting. He hadn't eaten all week, and it showed. Bella finally persuaded him to eat something. Charlie had gone home after a long visit, and it was too late in the evening for Renee to call. Jacob was asleep for school the next day, as were the rest of her friends. And she didn't want to impose on the other Cullens, though she somehow figured Rosalie might come to keep her company. In any case, she was alone that night. As she wandered out of her room, glad she did not have to stick to the IV any longer, she saw a few others in the lobby area. Spying a small snack counter, she figured that if she was there, she might as well get something to snack on. She hadn't had a good sugar item in a while. She moved over to it and asked for a chocolate bar. She took it and was just about to unwrap the thing when she felt a tug on her gown. Looking over, she saw a little boy, crying against his wrist and gripping her hospital dress. She set the bar aside and put a hand on his head of ginger hair.

"What's wrong?" she asked kindly, her heart panging at the sight. He simpered and looked up with two huge, brown eyes.

"I l-lost my m-mommy!" he wailed, tears streaking his red face. "I'm sc-scared!" He thrust himself onto Bella's thigh, sobbing. Bella shifted and then knelt beside him, taking him in her arms and hugging him.

"Shh… shh… it's ok…" Why wouldn't the hospital tenets see him? He looked about five years of age. Surely someone would have noticed a sobbing boy wander about. Bella stood up and took his tiny hand. She grabbed the chocolate bar and showed it to him. "Would you like some?" He shook his head, continuing to sniffle and ask for his mother. Bella looked around and spotted a nurse. After speaking with her for a moment, and the boy describing his mom, the nurse explained that she hadn't seen a woman of his description. She knelt down and smiled kindly.

"Would you like me to help find your mommy?" She held out her hand. The boy pulled back and clung to Bella's leg. He shook his head frantically, shivering. The nurse sighed and stood up. "Would you mind watching him until we find his mom?" She said she didn't. "Alright… We're gonna find your mommy, ok, little guy?" He nodded, but still kept to Bella's leg.

After that, the nurse left, and Bella led the boy to her room and sat him on the bed, sitting beside him. He latched himself to her side. Bella realized just how cold this boy was. She rubbed his arms and put a blanket on him. "Were you outside in the snow?" He nodded, gripping the blanket. "Ooh… poor thing." She pet his hair. "Don't worry. We'll find her. What's your name?"

"Vinny," he said, his face pushed into her side.

"Vinny…. That's a nice name, Vinny. My name's Bella."

"Hi," he said softly.

"Hi," said Bella with a small smile. "How old are you?" He held up four fingers. "Wow. You're old, huh?" She poked his side and he let out a reluctant giggle. "So why are you and your mommy hear?"

"I dunno," said Vinny with a shrug. He looked to her. "She said that she's gotta do something here."

"What something?"

"I dunno…"

There was a pause and Bella pulled up a remote. "Do you want to watch TV?" she asked. "There might be some cartoons on."

Vinny shook his head. "I'm hungry."

"Oh?" Bella took her candy bar and unwrapped it. "Here… have some." Vinny stared at it for a minute. He moved his tiny hands to her arm and held it down so that he could look at it better. He stared at it for the longest time. Slowly, he moved his mouth forward as if to bite it. Bella began to feel pressure on her wrist. She frowned and tried to wriggle her hand away. Vinny only held tighter. "Let go… come on Vinny, you're hurting me." She tried to wrench it away, but by God that kid had a grip. She began to grow frantic. What was going on? She yanked and pulled, but the iron grasp that clung to her skin would not let her loose. "Stop it!" she demanded, trying to pull away. "Let me go! Let me go right now! Vinny!" Suddenly, his head jerked forward. Bella felt two sharp pains enter her wrist. She gasped and turned her wrist suddenly, causing herself to fall to the bed. Vinny let her go and she scrambled to the other side of the room. Her legs were wobbly and weak, but she did her best to stand, the walker having been knocked over in the process of her falling. Vinny slipped from the bed, his mouth covered in shimmering blood. He smiled, his eyes now demonic and his teeth a bright, unnatural shade of white. Two sharp fangs protruded from his gums.

"You are so pathetically predictable," came a spiteful voice. It came from him, and was still in his tenor, yet the way he spoke did not match his body. His hands began to form into blade like things. Bella instantly knew who she was dealing with.

"V-Victoria!" she managed to call out. A snort came from the boy's mouth.

"No shit, bitch!" He – or rather, she – let his arm fly forward, extending as though it were made of rubber. Bella dodged just in time, falling to the ground. She crawled quickly over to her night stand, seeing the bell. This was defiantly an emergency. She leapt for it, but something caught her ankles. With a lurch, she was yanked back and thrown to the ground. He pinned her by her neck, laughing. "You know… I could just kill you right now. But this is too much fun… huh…?" He looked down and realized that she was still wearing her silver cross. His skin was slowly starting to sizzle – as though it was on a frying pan.

"Agh!" He flailed backwards, his hand smoking and red. Bella didn't get a chance to breathe. Instead, she moved as quick as possible to the bed stand, her legs nearly giving out beneath her, and grabbed the bell. She shook it with all her might. The vampire before her screamed, pushing his hands to his ears and falling to his knees. "Enough! Enough! Stop that!"

Bella heard a thump at her window. Edward clung to the side, eyes furious in a golden blaze. "You can come in!" said Bella quickly. Edward punched his hand through the glass and dove in, tackling Victoria to the ground and pushing her disguised body to it roughly. He began to tighten his hold on the neck. But stopped when one of Victoria's dagger arms sliced Edward across the face. Now back to her original form, Victoria moved to the window. But Edward slammed her up against the wall, his cut slowly starting to heal. Edward's hand gripped her throat tightly, his face absolutely livid. So angry, in fact, that it scared Bella a bit. A smile curled along Victoria's lips.

"Well…? Aren't you going to kill me? Go ahead…" Her eyes blazed up, like a cat playing with a mouse. "Cut off my head. Burn my body. Scatter my ashes at a crossroad. Otherwise I'll be back. And I'll make sure to kill her this time. So will the others." Edward seethed, but did nothing, his leer kept on her face. She choked out a laugh. "You can't, can you? You can't kill me… You want to… Oh how you want to. But you won't…" She narrowed her eyes, a larger laugh coming this time. In a sudden movement, she twisted Edward's arm and bounded off the wall, soaring through the night. There was a moment of silence between the two. Edward stared at the spot where he just had her. Bella didn't know what to say – or do. Slowly, he turned to her, an incredulous look of bewilderment on his face.

"Why couldn't I kill her?"

Bella jumped as heavy knocks were heard from her door. "Miss Swan!" came the voice of one of the nurses. "What's going on in there? Are you alright?! Please open this door, Miss Swan!" Bella turned to Edward as the pounding continued. He looked away from her and went to the window.

"Edward…" He paused. Only for a second. After that, he left the way he came. Her shoulders slumped and she looked to the door. Grabbing her walker and avoiding the glass, she went over to the door and opened it up for the nurse.

It was remarkable what a disguise could accomplish.

There we are. REVIEW! w00t!

~T.


	23. Rivals

Alrighty then. So this one is nearing its end... it has maybe about ten chapters left. I was considering redoing the other three books... I wanted to know – if I did, would you guys read them? Would you want me to? Tell me in the reviews!

**Twenty Three: Rivals**

**I**t wasn't until the end of the week that Bella was able to head home. She was given a walking cane, though she was now able to stand on her own two feet pretty well. In order to try and make the situation light, Charlie joked about their hospital bills, and how they were in the same boat. Bella smiled as though she agreed, but her mind was much too bogged down for jokes. Edward had just started to stop blaming himself for the trap, and now he had back tracked into blaming himself for not killing Victoria. Bella had tried to convince him that he had saved her, regardless. And she was thankful for that. Emmet dragged him to her room the last night of her hospital stay, and Bella made him promise he'd visit her. Ever since their kiss, Bella was unsure of so many things. What were they now? It seemed superficial to call him her "boyfriend". It just didn't seem to fit as far as a title went. Chris was a boyfriend. Edward... was what? A companion...? A lover...? Bella felt heat rush through her as she came to that thought. Half of her scolded her mind for jumping to such a conclusion, after what happened the last time she became intimate. How could she even be thinking about sex after being betrayed like that? Still... the other half... She shook her head and rubbed her temple. And what if he was just kissing her to calm her down, or appease her. And yet... Edward hardly seemed the type to do things to merely "appease" someone. If he did something, he either meant it or was forced into it. She didn't even notice that they were home until the truck stopped. She looked up and spotted Jacob's pick up. She had almost forgotten about him. Guilt weighed down on her for some unspoken reason. Grabbing her walking stick, she opened the door and gingerly touched down to the gravel of the driveway. Then, she and her father hobbled their way inside, where Jacob and Billy were waiting with a "WELCOME HOME" sign. Bella smiled weakly.

"I was only out for a week and a half," she said, propping herself on the cane.

"This is for both of you," said Billy with a grin. "You two are the most hazardous people I think I've ever met. Three hospital trips within three months! You're danger prone, I swear."

Jacob helped her in as his dad spoke, rubbing her arms after taking off her jacket for her. While the adults talked, the Bella was helped up the stairs and into her room, where she sat on her bed and set the cane aside. "I think I missed the last day before winter break," she remarked, looking out to the gray sky. It was still day out, and the snow glistened along the treetops as beautifully as they always did. It made her sad... for some reason she couldn't quite place. Perhaps it was all the confusion weighing down on her. Jacob noticed this and sat beside her, pulling her into a one armed, friendly hug.

"I'm sure you'll be able to catch up," he assured her, smiling gently. Bella nodded, looking up to him.

"Thanks..." She let herself fall to the bed, staring at the ceiling. She closed her eyes, a wrist laying over them. She just needed to think things through.

"You ok?" Bella poked an eye out from under her wrist and looked to Jacob. She shrugged.

"Just thinking," she said.

"About what?" He laid beside her on his stomach, his black hair washing against his shoulders. Bella sighed and rolled on the right side of her body, her hands folded beneath her head as a pillow. Should she tell him...? She was teetering on it. Something told her that it would hurt him if she did. Still... he was one of her oldest friends. Perhaps he could help?

"I know you don't like him," she began, "but... do you think Edward's the kind of person to... um..." She furrowed her brow, trying to piece words together. "I mean... he seems tough on the outside, but he can be really nice and... well... do you think that... if he wanted me to feel better...?"

Jacob frowned at where she was going. "What? Did he do something to you?" He sat up, attentive and alert. "You just say the word and I'll tear his throat out."

Bella blinked at him and smiled, sitting up. "No, no... it's not that." She took his hands. She got cold feet. She couldn't tell Jacob about the kiss. She was right – somehow, it would hurt him. Whether it was because he and Edward despised each other, or for another reason, Bella wasn't quite sure. He didn't need to know. "Nevermind..." Her smile became bigger to distract from the subject. "So how did you fill your time when I was away?"

For the next couple of hours, they talked and talked. Bella had no idea that it was almost sunset by the time they finished. They spoke of everything that was happening. Jacob was irritated that he wasn't more involved with getting the nomads out of Forks. He was the type of person who didn't like to wait around and watch what happened. Bella knew that from when they were children. She shared the same sentiments, reiterating her annoyance that there wasn't much she could do to protect herself. Their conversation – despite the subject matter – was easy. Bella had never realized just how nice it was to talk with him. They had similar view points on many matters, making the conversation even smoother. As a matter of fact, she doubted that she even had such easy conversations with Chris, when she was still in Phoenix... No. This was something that she and Jacob shared. It was special. To them and only them.

"Oy!" came Billy's voice once sunset rolled around. "Food's here!"

"Oh..." Jacob laughed. He as well wasn't aware of the time. "You want me to get you something?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah ok." She smiled, taking his hands. "Thanks..." she said sincerely. He smiled at her and then left her to her bed. Bella felt the weight of her shoulders loosening considerably. She was still unsure about Edward, as she made sure that the subject didn't pop up again. Still, as far as everything else went, she had a little more certainty on things. It was comforting.

A tap on her window brought her out of her thoughts. Looking up, she spotted Edward clinging to her wall, peering through the window. The gold in his eyes were dimming. He would need to hunt coming up. Bella smiled, her heart starting to warm. Despite the confusion and the uncertainty about the whole thing, it was nice to see him keep his promise. Bella moved to the window, opened it, and let him come in. He looked to the cane she used.

"Are you ok?" he asked, touching her arm. Bella nodded.

"It's just a little limp. I'll be fine in a day or two..." She sat on the edge of the bed, cane in her lap. She thought briefly that the two boys may not be happy when Jacob returned with food, but she'd jump off that bridge when it happened. Right now, she wanted to speak with Edward; get on the same page, as it were. "Listen... about... our kiss and stuff?" A lame way to start off on the subject, but she wasn't sure how else to go about it. He shifted nervously and sighed.

"You were uncomfortable," he said, his head lowered. "I knew it... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done anything so forward..."

Hope shot through her and she stood, taking his cold hand with two of her own. "No," she said quickly. He looked up to her cautiously. "Not at all... actually..." She let her eyes trail to his hand, her cheeks filling with red in slight embarrassment. "Actually... I liked it... a lot..." There was a pause as Bella kept her head lowered. Her mind began to reel. He sure was taking his sweet time to respond to that. She was ready to take it all back when she felt fingers on her chin. Gently, he lifted her head so the two stared at one another. He was smiling at her – truly smiling. The smile that he stored away only for her. It made her heart thrill and she smiled brightly back. He leaned forward and lightly pressed their lips together once again. After a short, four second kiss, he pulled back and looped his arms around her waist, letting his forehead drop to her shoulder. He let out a breath.

"I still can't figure out why I couldn't kill her," he confessed. "I've searched every reason. I had her right in my hands... If I took off her head and burned her body in the sun, then she wouldn't be able to come back... but I just..." Bella tightened her grip around his torso.

"Edward, listen to me," she said in a gentle, firm voice. "I'm alive and well. That's all that matters. Yes, she got away. But with any luck, they'll leave. I know you wish you could have done something more, but what's done is done." She cupped his face and turned him to look at her. "Besides..." She smiled. "It just proves me right. Even though you come off as a tough guy, if you had a choice, you wouldn't hurt a thing. You're nothing but a big pansy." A sheepish smile came out and he leaned in, lacing his long fingers through her hair. He leaned in for another kiss, when a plate clattered to the floor, causing them both to turn to the door. Jacob stood there, the food at his feet. He glared incredulously at the pair, his lips parted in shock. Bella saw as his face twisted into a leer, a growl coming from his throat. She also felt Edward's arms tense on her body.

"What's _he_ doing here!?" they both demanded at once, pointing to one another. Jacob stormed into the room getting right up to the two and taking Bella's arm.

"Back off, bloodsucker!" he snapped. "You're not fooling anyone here. Don't think you can trick Bella into letting you sneak a bite!"

"Oh please," Edward hissed back. "Like you have room to talk? You follow her around like a little obedient puppy! What, hoping she'll give you a flea bath?"

"She's my _friend_," Jacob snapped back. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot you don't know the meaning of the word."

"Oh that hurt. Is that really the best you've got?"

"I'm just getting started."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah!"

"Then bring it, Cujo."

With a glare, Jacob pushed his shoulder. Edward released Bella and pushed him back, this time a little harder. Through the whole back and forth exchange, Bella had tried to get a word in to try and stop things. It didn't look like she was working. They pushed each other until Edward raised his fist, ready to slam him in the jaw. Bella grabbed his arm. "Stop it! Right now!" she ordered. They looked at her and then at each other. A smirk came onto Edward's lips.

"Right. This mutt isn't worth my time. Besides... he can't do this."

Without warning, he grabbed Bella by the waist, dipped her, and dove in for a solid kiss. Her eyes shot open, unsure of what to do. She wasn't sure if she should kiss back or simply stand there and see what happens. When it was over, he stood her to her feet, the quick change in position making her light headed. Jacob glared, his over sharpened canines starting to show quite well.

"You... you son of a bitch!" he barked.

"Wouldn't that be _you_?"

With a howl like yell, Jacob lunged for Edward, the two of them flying backwards, crashing out the window, and tumbling down into the snow. Bella barely had time to think before she was at her window ledge, watching the two attempt to strangle one another as they flopped around like a couple of fish on a dock.

"What's going on up there!?" came Charlie's voice.

"Nothing!" Bella gripped her cane and swiped the bell, rushing as quick as she could down stairs and through the kitchen door so her father wouldn't see. She yanked it open and hurried outside, the Jacob supporting a bruised cheek and Edward with a split lip. She shook the bell with all her might. The inaudible sound caused them both to curl forward, gripping their ears, much like Victoria did at the hospital. With a huff, she put her hand on her hip, her other hand leaning against the cane. The two boys looked up to her, panting in the cold. "That is _enough_!" she snapped harshly. "You two are acting like children. I know you don't like each other, but this is stupid!"

"He started it," said Jacob.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Agh!" They cried out once more as Bella rang her instrument. She then stopped and pushed on her temple. All of this was giving her a monster of a headache.

"Listen," she began evenly. "You two don't have to be friends, but for God's sake, don't try to kill each other! There are nomads for that!" They grumbled and glared at one another from side glances. Though it was evident that they still hated one another beyond belief, Bella was right. Among the attacks of the nomads, this was no time to have inner battles between... erm... somewhat of comrades.

"Parasite," Jacob mumbled.

"Ass sniffer," Edward retorted.

"Stop it," said Bella, nipping the name calling in the bud before it escalated. They quitted, still on their knees in the snow. "Now say your sorry and make up."

Edward flinched. "Bella, come on... this is humiliating – "

"You should have thought of that before you ruined my window!" She pointed to the broken glass. "Now say it! Go on!"

As though he were trying to swallow glass, Edward turned and took a breath. "I'm... very very... s...sorry..."

Jacob ground his teeth together. It was amazing that none of them broke. "It's... fine," he seethed, his hands in fists. "I'm s...sorry too..."

It wasn't the greatest make up in the world, but Bella took it. She looked over just in time to see Charlie and Billy make their way to the door. Her father panted. "What the hell happened out here?"

"Weren't you two in your room just now?" asked Billy. Bella blinked and looked to where Edward was sitting. Didn't they see him? But after seeing nothing but his imprint, she supposed he must have taken off when he heard the kitchen door open. She and Jacob were able to make up a story about the window shattering because Jacob was leaning on it. It was an old window, so it was very plausible that it would break from pressure. Once the Blacks left (Jacob's eyes averting Bella at every cost), Charlie helped Bella put a sheet over her window until the glass could get fixed, and then they went to bed. Bella herself was just ready to settle in, when she heard a voice.

"Pst... psssst!"

She looked up and moved to the window, lifting the sheet. Edward clung to her wall, smiling sheepishly. "Hi..." His smile fell and he looked to the broken glass, tapping it. "You still think I wouldn't hurt a fly?"

Bella rubbed her eyes and leaned against the frame of the window. She shook her head, a meek smile on her face. Leaning forward, she tilted his chin up and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. "Please try to remember that he's my best friend. So no more fighting... Ok?"

Edward didn't like the idea, but he caved. "I'll contain myself... Or at least try." With a cute little smirk, he gave her one last kiss before turning and leaping out of sight.

And there's number 23. Remember what I said above! Would you be interested?

~T.


	24. A Warning

Sweetness! I'm almost to 300 reviews! I think – as you all are very admit about telling me you'd be interested – i'm going to do the other three books. They're going to be quite different... I haven't actually read them, but I know enough about them. Besides, a friend of mine is a Twi-fan, and she'll help me with a few details. As for the plot lines, i'm going to keep them in the general direction, but for the most part, they're going to get a full on make over. Ah hell, maybe i'll just go see the movie.

**Twenty Four: A Warning**

**B**ella was glad when she was able to walk without aid of a cane. She felt much like an old woman whenever she needed to use it. It almost went so far as to depress her. But soon, she was on her own too feet, Charlie getting much better as well. He was now back at work, though under moderation from his co-workers just to make sure he's fine. Not only that, but Carlisle began to make house calls to see if he was alright. Of course, Bella knew the reason Carlisle was really there. No doubt it was to keep an eye on the nomads' choice of target. Though it seemed futile now. The three hadn't made an appearance since the failed trap. Bella hardly thought they were gone, as they had pulled this stunt before. Still, she was glad she had gotten a little peace. But beside that, even if they weren't gone, they still did as they pleased, no matter who was watching Bella. True, Carlisle's visits did help her sleep a little better at night, but not by much. At least, in the beginning of his visits. Towards the end, Bella found herself merging back into a life of ease. Just as she had predicted, she missed the last bit of school before winter break. But it didn't matter much; at least now she had ample time to catch up on her studies. She devoted entire days to doing just that, making sure she'd have everything done by the time break was over. Besides, she also needed time for her friends. During one visit, Jessica said that there would be a New Year's party at Tyler's house. She also mentioned that if she missed this one, she would be forever damned by the party gods. Bella laughed at that, glad things were starting to reverting back to their old ways.

"I'll be sure not to miss it," she had told her.

"Well you better!" Jessica threatened lamely. "It's the biggest party of the year. See... Tyler doesn't like to tell people, but his family's loaded! He has such a big house!"

Bella bit her bottom lip. "Would you mind... if I brought Edward with me?"

Jessica frowned at her, obviously not keen on the idea. But then, she sighed and ran her hand through her long hair. "If you must," she said, exasperated. "I don't know what you see in that guy, quite honestly. He freaks me out..."

"He can be a little intimidating," Bella admitted. "But really... you just haven't seen his sweet side."

Jessica snorted in disbelief. "Let me guess? Hard candy shell but soft and chewy center?" Bella nodded with a bright smile. Jessica shook her head. "Well... I can't say I like the idea... But what the hell. I'll try to see through his emo-tastic persona. Just for you."

Bella hugged her. "Thank you," she said kindly.

That was just a few days ago. This night, she lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She still had yet to ask Edward to go with her. But it was at night, so there shouldn't be too much of a problem. Besides, Bella still strove to push Edward into a more sociable state of mind. Despite him being a vampire. She turned her eyes and spotted the school books that rested on her bedside table. For lack of a better observation – what an odd year. And it was really only starting. She still had spring and summer to knock out. And then her senior year... And that was only high school. What did the future have for her after high school? What about college? She put a hand to her forehead. Her mind was whirling. She was thinking about too many things all at once. She wished she could just calm it, but it was no use. There was just too much...

"_Bella..._"

Something clicked inside her. She felt a familiar warmth spread over her body. Slowly, she sat up, her eyes turning to the window. A face sat behind the glass. Alice's face... What a beautiful face it was. Her smooth, rounded features sat within her perfect hair, her eyes glistening. She let her long fingers trail against the glass, the azure dress she wore fluttering against the cold wind. "Bella..." she cooed. "Please let me in, my dear... It's so cold out... let me in..." In a trance, Bella slipped off of her bed and went to the window, her fingers stopping just inches from the ledge. She shouldn't... something within her told her she shouldn't open the window. It clawed at the inside of her brain, begging her not to open the window. Bella looked to Alice. She had such a sweet face. "Please, my darling... open the window... let me in..." She pleaded with such a silken, gentle voice. Her beautiful countenance made Bella's brain numb over with warmth. Slowly, she unlocked the new window and opened it (Jacob had replaced it after he and Edward had their falling out). "Now tell me I can come in..."

"You can come in..."

Suddenly, a rush of cold air knocked her back and she fell to the bed, coming to her senses. Alice slipped into her room, closing the window behind her. Her soft, angelic features once more became bony and angular. She turned to Bella, her cunning eyes burning into the human's. Bella scrambled to the head of her bed, gripping her cross tightly. She held up a thin hand. "Relax. I am only here to talk to you." Bella didn't let her guard down.

"Then why did you trick me into letting you in?" she demanded.

"I didn't think you would otherwise," said Alice honestly. She began to slowly move about the room, taking in its details. Her fingers trailed along the walls, her step lighter then air. It almost looked as though she was some daunting ghost, hovering about her bedroom, rather then walking. "So... you seem to have gotten much closer to Edward..." She turned her sharp gaze to Bella. She swallowed hard, but said nothing. A low laugh made it out of Alice's slim throat. "Are you aware of the tale of Lenore, Bella?"

"L...Lenore?" Bella had heard that name before. She racked her brains. "Isn't it... the woman in 'The Raven'? The poem by Poe, right?"

Alice tilted her head to the side, an amused smirk on her face. "Not quite," she corrected. "This story was written much earlier then anything Mr. Poe ever wrote. You see, Lenore... was a foolish young woman. Perhaps no older then you yourself. Her love leaves her one day for war. She waits for him, as she promises to do. When he returns, he is nothing more then a moving corpse. And yet, she cannot push him away. For to her, he is still her love. He takes her to a grave and pulls her in, where the woman is doomed to a life of damnation." Alice rounded to the girl, moving closer. "Right now... your adorable relationship may seem quite fun. But it is only a matter of time before it becomes sour, my dear..."

Bella felt herself shutter and frowned. "What are you talking about...?" Though her cheeks filled with red. Did she already know of she and Edward's romance? Bella had chalked it up to that, as she had no other real label for what they had. "And besides... how do you know it'll get bad? Or that it'll even last long enough?"

Alice kept her knowing smile and stood up straight, looming well over Bella. She spun around and continued to walk around the room. "Yes, I suppose you have a point." She looked over her shoulder, her eyes sparkling with a malicious playfulness. "But you see... aside from my dark gift, I have a bit of a knack for... predicting things." She turned and leaned against the wall she stood by, the silken fabric of her mid evil dress shimmering against Bella's lamp light. "It's something I developed when I was human. I suppose I was born with it. It's more of a feeling, really. There are some things... that I know will happen in the future." She looked at her nails casually. "You can stop your petty little tryst right now, and nothing will come of it. Wait until it is no longer dangerous, and move. Far away. Never seek him out, never cross paths with him again." Alice's eyes shifted upwards, staring into Bella's.

"Because if you don't... then I'm afraid you will suffer."

"Suffer...?" Bella repeated, her blood running cold. "What do you mean...? None of this is making sense!" Her mind was reeling. What was Alice talking about, suffer? Was she trying to scare her? Indeed, Alice seemed to be the type of person who would play with another person's well being for her enjoyment. Like a cat, toying with a scared, half starved mouse.

"I mean, you will suffer," Alice repeated. "In fact, you will suffer to the point of no longer wanting to live. Your worst nightmares will be realized... and you will loose yourself in a spiral of misery and despair."

Bella began to grow angry. Alice was being plain as day, but at the same time, it was like she was talking in riddles. Bella shook her head. "Quit it!" she snapped, growing even more confused and irritated. "Just leave me alone, Alice!" She was just trying to scare her. That was all. She was trying to frighten her for her own enjoyment. And Bella didn't like the idea of being used for amusement. Alice shrugged, turning to the window.

"Well... you can't say I didn't warn you." She moved to the window and opened it, turning to look at Bella with a deep gaze. "But to love a vampire is to curse yourself to hell. Remember that in the time to come." Turning, she jumped from the room and vanished into the night. In a rush of frustration, Bella hurried to the window and slammed it shut, locking it. She then went to her bed and flopped onto it, yanking her pillow to her chest. Why did Alice love to torment her? Had she done something offensive? Or was it simply because she and Edward were now close? Bella shut her eyes, furrowing her brow as she tried to calm herself. Alice's words had made her inexplicably angry. She surprised herself at just how furious she was. Perhaps it was because things were finally starting to become pleasant with the boy? And now... Bella had Alice's words hovering over her like a daunting spirit. She ground her teeth, her nails digging into the pillow.

No. She refused to believe such nonsense. She wouldn't even classify her affection as love, anyway. She liked him, surely. They connected on an emotional level, and she doubted either of them would do any less then their best at making the other happy. But after Chris, she was not eager to admit that she was in love with anyone. Her body became less tense and she opened her eyes to slits. Yes... the way she felt around Chris... it was much different to the way she was feeling now. Back then, she was charmed. Swept away even by the boy's dashing personality and handsome face. Edward... was the complete opposite. He did not try to woo her, as Chris had done. Their relationship was not "boyfriend, girlfriend" status. It was something... deeper then that. Bella sighed. She had only really started facing these feelings for a couple days, and already she was classifying their relationship as a deep one. She put a palm to her forehead. How much of an idiot did she have to be? Her heart was nearly shredded by her last boyfriend, and here she was wanting to be in a deep engagement.

Bella sat back up, staring at her shoes. No... she couldn't let these things weigh her down. She decided then that she would let whatever happen happen. Even if it did end terribly, she knew that Edward's heart was in the right place. She could feel safe with him, ironic as it was. As for Alice's warning... so what? It wasn't as though they were married... And if Edward so much as mentions a grave, Bella would stay well away from it. Of course, she doubted that the same situation would arise... but still...

She nodded, determined. She would not let Alice's words deter her. She steadfastly refused to allow Alice – the cunning, sly, seductive Alice – to ruin what she and Edward had. It wasn't much of anything, in reality, but Bella still wanted it to exist.

"Oy... my head hurts." Bella put her face in her hands. All this thinking... and so late at night! She laid along the bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't think anymore. So, turning off her light, she rolled to her side and forced her eyes closed, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

Well, since you all want me to do the other three books, here's a bit of foreshadowing for you! I'll let you guys know now – Breaking Dawn will not have a fairy tale ending. That's for damn sure.

~T.


	25. Cameras and Good News

I apologize for not updating as quick as I usually do. My grandpa had his knee replaced, so i've been helping him get back on his feet. Anyway, i'm in Bakersfield right now, and internet is a bet scarce. I was able to finally get a flashdrive and transfer this chapter onto another computer. Anywhos, here you go!

PS – again, thank you for all the wonderful reviews! And once this is over, I'll be sure to start on "New New Moon". Yes, the extra New was purposeful.

PSS – because someone asked: it's ancient lore that says that vampires cannot enter a dwelling unless invited inside. For those who still aren't sure, go and find the movie "Let the Right One In." It's a foreign vampire film, and it's FANTASTIC. One of my favorites.

**Twenty Five: Cameras and Good News**

**C**hristmas had always been a funny affair for Bella. When she was younger, she did often get a little jealous of the large families who went to exotic places and whose children got a department store as presents. But as she got older, she found that spending the holiday with her mother – her father coming as well – was pleasing to her. The quiet nights of sitting at home, talking lightly to each other while sipping hot chocolate or egg nog was a scene that would bore most prepubescent and or adolescent persons, but Bella found it to be quite soothing. That year, she woke up on the 24th, finding herself thinking about it. It would be different to be spending the day in Forks, rather than Phoenix. But she guessed she was due for at least one white Christmas. With a yawn, she got out of bed and slipped to the floor, moving towards her closet. She was lazy this morning for some reason. Once she was dressed in the new sweater that Charlie insisted that she buy for the winter season, she made her way back out to her bedroom, wondering what she was going to do for the first half of her day. That was when she noticed something fluttering on the outside of her window. Her eyes turned over to the glass when she realized that a note was taped onto the other side of the pane, the wind picking up the corners of it. She recognized the hand writing. Moving over, she unlatched the window and moved her arm out, taking it from its spot. Pulling it in, she smiled as she read the lettering.

_Good morning. Hope you slept well._

_I'll be dropping by tonight. I have a_

_Christmas present for you. And Carlisle_

_wants me to tell you something, too. Don't_

_worry, you're not in any trouble. I wish I_

_could be there Christmas morning, but it's_

_going to be a clear day, and I don't think _

_they make a sunblock for vampires yet._

_See you tonight,_

_Edward._

She let her fingers trail along the ink and then set the letter aside. Heaving a sigh, she flopped back to her bed, thinking. It had almost been a week since Alice's warning. Since then, Edward hadn't come by as often as he was before. Bella knew that he had things to do; he and the other Cullens were scouting the perimeters of Forks for the nomads, though the search hadn't been all that fruitful. She was glad that he would make time for her to visit that night. However, as she lay there, she realized that he was bringing her a present, and she had nothing to give him. Sitting up, she pulled out her phone and texted Jacob to see if he was doing anything that day. He replied that he wasn't, so she asked if he would accompany her to go shopping that afternoon. She had a good amount of spending money she kept in her drawer, so she wouldn't have to ask poor Charlie for any. He agreed and said that he'd come by to pick her up around lunch time. After that, Bella went downstairs to see her father.

Charlie was getting around quite well now, something that Bella was happy for. Bella had since been able to walk without a cane, and focused her free time helping him get around. He no longer needed anything to help him walk, and now only slightly limped. If he kept it up, he would be back to work by the end of January, which made him considerably happy. He wasn't complaining about being able to stay home and watch sports all day, but Charlie wasn't the type of person who liked to simply sit around and do nothing. He was already talking about what he would do when he got back to the precinct.

"Just be careful this go around," Bella warned as she brushed her hair in the bathroom. Charlie gave a deep throated chuckle.

"Sure, sure," he said lightly.

"I'm serious! I don't want to wake up one day and find your head on our door step. Who would pay my cell phone bill then?"

After a bit of a laugh between the two, Bella went out and explained that she'd be at Port Angeles for a few hours. He didn't have a problem with it, but told her to be home by eight. No sooner, no later. Bella agreed with a roll of her eyes and then went outside to wait for Jacob, her hand securely around her silver cross. It was only a couple of minutes before his black truck came into view. She hopped in with a bright smile and thanked him for the escort. She had conveniently neglected to tell him that she would be shopping for Edward. Something told her that he'd become a bit irritated if she had. As they drove, Bella asked what he'd be doing tomorrow. Jacob shrugged.

"Probably just a family dinner," he said simply. "I'm going to try and sneak away for a couple of hours to come and visit."

"Well if you do," said Bella, "you'd better not look today. That means I have to find you a present, too."

Jacob waved it aside. "Nah. You don't have to get me anything."

"Sure I do!" she said eagerly. "We've been friends for what... twelve years now?"

"Twelve and a half," Jacob corrected with a smile. "But yeah. I guess you're right. Then I'll have to get you something too." He frowned. "But I won't be leaving you alone in a shop. I just won't look at what you buy."

A gentle smile came to Bella's face. Leaning over, she pat his hand. "I know. Thanks."

When they got to the little strip of stores, Jacob parked in the lot by a clothing outlet, the two getting out of the truck. Beneath their feet, snow crunched, Bella's nose tingling with the frosty air. It was quite busy, and the two had to maneuver in and out of crowds just to get from one side of the shop to another. They hurried inside, Bella looking about. She didn't think she should be getting Edward something to wear, but they might have something interesting there, like a man's necklace or something of the like. But after striking out, they hopped another store and gazed around the merchandise. This went on for a bit, until they landed in a quaint little shop at the very end of the street. It was a souvenir shop mainly for tourists, but she still had yet to find Edward a gift. She had already bought a present for Jacob and Charlie, but could not find a gift suitable for Edward. Then again, what _could_ she get a vampire for Christmas? Short of stealing a transfusion pack from the hospital, she could think of nothing. Jacob eyed her, his own purchases hiding in a bag that he held by his side.

"What exactly are you looking for?" he asked. Bella shrugged, mumbling something generic. She didn't want to arouse his anger at mentioning Edward; it had been such a fun day for the two of them, that saying his name might ruin it. That's when her eyes landed on something, causing her to think one word: _Perfect._

Hurrying over, she picked up a little snow globe that sat on the shelf. The base was made to look like a mound of snow, a few pine trees sticking out around the glass. Inside was a miniature model of the old saw mill, back in its days of glory. She touched the glass and found that it had a song to it as well. She twisted it, letting the little box play with in it. It was a sweet, haunting little tune, swaying back and forth as the metallic notes were played. She smiled brightly to herself. Yes, this would be the one. Checking its price, she found that it wasn't all that expensive, either. So, she got in line and bought the thing, glad it came in its own little box. She also grabbed some wrapping paper as well. Jacob frowned in curiosity, watching as she was given the bag.

"So, are you hungry?" she asked, the two heading out of the store. "I was thinking we could go and get some pizza or something. Maybe even stop by the diner here for a hamburger? Or maybe – ?"

"Is that thing for Cullen?"

Bella blinked, the sudden question making her heart jump. She turned to look at him, putting on a weak smile. "Well... yes. He said he had a present for me tonight, so... I thought I'd get him something, too."

Jacob looked away, furrowing his brow. He almost looked as though he were pouting. "What do you see in that guy?" he asked, hands in his pockets.

"Huh?" This question more confused her then anything. "Well... um..." She shook her head. "What do you mean, Jacob?" He didn't reply. So, she decided best to answer him. "He's... not perfect, I know. Not at all perfect. But... he's really gentle when he wants to be. And... well I guess he just – " She stopped abruptly when Jacob's steely eyes flashed towards her. Bella could see them become silver. He moved forward, firmly taking her arm, though not enough to hurt her.

"Bella, you're being stupid," he began. Almost pleadingly. "Chris practically yanked your heart out and here you are already jumping into another relationship."

Bella scowled, her face becoming hot. That made her sound cheap... or slutty. She yanked her arm away. "It's not like I threw myself at him," she argued. "Besides... it really just sort of happened. It's not like he asked me out or something."

"Why are you so eager to have your heart broken again?" Jacob asked.

"What?" Bella became even more embarrassed – and even more angry. She felt like she did when Alice had paid her a visit. "Who says he's going to break my heart? Besides, you make it seem like I'm some idiot air head. I can handle myself, thanks!" Spinning on her heel, she stormed off towards the truck. Jacob caught up behind her.

"But why him?" he pressed. "Why Edward Cullen?"

"I don't need to verify myself with you," she replied hotly. If he was going to act like this, she wasn't about to play along. Jacob jumped in front of her, hands on her shoulders. "Let me go!" she snapped.

"There are so many other guys out there!" he said urgently. "Guys that won't use you... Guys who are _alive_ for one."

"He isn't technically dead," Bella sniffed. "Besides, what do you know? What guys?"

He opened his mouth, and then closed it again. Through his copper skin, Bella could see his cheeks start to flush, though not dramatically. He turned his face down, his hands slowly leaving her shoulders. Revelation hit her like a brick wall. Suddenly, she felt horrible for making him tag along without so much as a reason why. She felt as though she was using him with no regards to his own feelings. She gripped her bags to her chest and looked away. Why couldn't she tell before? And now that she could... what would become of their friendship? Would things be awkward between them now? Bella closed her eyes and took a breath. Reaching forward, she took his hand. He looked up slightly.

"Let's go," she suggested. He looked off to the side and then took a step forward, gripping her hand with both of his own.

"Look... I don't want you to feel weird around me after this," he said sincerely. "Really... I still want to be your friend. It's just that... Well I've liked you for a while now. But I figured I never really had a chance, you being in Phoenix and all. But in any case... If it comes down to it, I'd rather just be your friend." He paused and took his hands away. "I hope that's ok..."

There was a silence between the two. The wind whisked past Bella's ear, playing with her hair. Parts of her exposed skin were starting to get numb, her feet already half frozen. She looked down to the items in her plastic bag and then looked up to Jacob. Two years younger then her, and he was already so mature. Any other teen boy would stomp his feet and demand. But not Jacob. A warm smile came to her face. She moved forward and hugged him around the chest. He hesitated, but soon hugged her back. Pulling away, she playfully slapped his shoulder.

"Well come on," she said, suddenly in light spirits. "Let's get me home. If I had any balls, they'd freeze off." Jacob couldn't help but laugh and nodded. Back to their usual friendship, they both headed to the truck, getting in. Bella was never so glad to feel hot air.

Once they reached home, they split ways, Bella heading towards her home. It was almost eight, just as she'd been told to do. She had convinced Jacob to stop by and grab a bite to eat before they got back to Forks. It killed enough time to where she arrived at home just at the time her father had instructed her to arrive at. When she walked in the front door, she had quite the surprise waiting for her.

"BABY!"

Before she knew what was going on, her mother had flung herself at Bella, gripping her neck in a strong hug. Bella blinked, stunned for a moment, before she broke into a wide smile and hugged her back. Renee pulled away, her slim hands cupping Bella's cheeks. "Oh honey! It's so good to see you! I've missed you so much, sweet heart!" After another hug and a couple of kisses, Bella was led into the living room, where Phil and Charlie were sitting and talking. Phil did indeed have the physique of a ball player. Tall and built, he had a firm chest and strong arms, his set jaw covered with a light row of sandy hair, matching what was atop his head. He and Charlie had just been discussing baseball when Charlie spotted his daughter, giving her a bright smile.

"Surprised?" he asked lightly.

"Yeah!" said Bella, her smile still huge. "You should have told me, Dad! I only bought presents for you and a couple of my friends."

"Oh that's alright, hun," said Renee. "We got in this afternoon." Renee's face practically was glowing with happiness. It made Bella feel good to finally see her mother smile like that.

"Hey there, Bella," said Phil with a polite nod. "How's Washington treating you?"

"I've gotten used to it," she replied, Renee heading over to sit beside her new man.

"Oh!" said Renee suddenly. "You'll never guess, Bells." She held up her left hand, a diamond shimmering off the left ring finger. "Phil proposed a week ago!"

"That's great!" said Bella kindly, sitting beside her father. Charlie nodded in agreement.

"I'm happy for you both," he said, shaking Phil's hand good-naturedly. "Do you have a date yet?"

"Not yet," said Renee jubilantly. "But we were thinking about a spring wedding. You might be pulled from school, Bella. Though I don't think you would mind." She turned her sprightly face towards Charlie. "Now all we have to is find you someone."

Charlie laughed and shook his head. "Ah, no. Don't you go play match maker, miss. I'm perfectly fine with this girl here." He put a hand on Bella's shoulder, hugging her with one arm.

After an hour and forty five minutes of talking, Bella excused herself to her room, explaining that she was tired and she already ate before getting there. She wanted to spend more time with her mom, yes, but she didn't want to not be there when Edward showed up. She set her things beside her bed and went to the window, opening it. She stuck her head out, looking around. "Edward?" she called in a rough whisper. "Edward...!"

"Down here."

Bella turned her eyes directly below her. Edward was laying on the side of the house as though he was resting on a bed top, a hand beneath his head. He had a brown box beneath his arm, eyes closed as though he were sleeping. They opened and shot to her, a smile curling on his lips. After inviting him in, he crawled up to the window and slipped inward, closing the pane behind him.

"I heard your mom inside," he said. "Glad to see her again?"

"Yeah," said Bella honestly, offering him a seat on her bed. "She's getting married again. Or did you hear that too?" She smiled and sat beside him. "How long were you waiting?"

"Oh not too long," said Edward nonchalantly. "An hour. Maybe a little more." He laughed at Bella's guilt ridden face. "Oh relax. I was only there for ten minutes."

Bella pushed his shoulder and shook her head. "So what did Carlisle want me to hear?"

"Ah. Well it seems as though the nomads have moved on."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yup. Rosalie couldn't feel anyone other then us all this week. Usually she gets feelings that someone else is here. They might have headed up into Canada. Well, that's what Carlisle thinks, anyway."

"Well that's good!" said Bella happily. "No more being monitored then!"

"Awe," said Edward, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "What? Did you not like me as a bodyguard?"

She giggled, pushing him away. "Quit that," she said playfully. "I just don't like being watched twenty four seven is all." She then put her hands on her knees, leaning into him. "So what's in the box?" she asked eagerly. He grinned and put it into her lap.

"You mentioned once that you were interested in photography, right?" She nodded and opened the brown paper, prying the lid off. She gasped, realizing what was inside.

"Oh wow!" She pulled out a professional looking camera, the chic, silver frame pleasantly cold in her hands. An owner's manual and USB cord sat beneath it, her own reflection smiling back at her in the blank, digital screen. She turned to him, eyes shimmering. "Oh thank you!" She hugged him tightly. "But... God, this must have been expensive..."

"Yeah, because vampires really need money," he said in a joking voice. "Relax. It's your Christmas present. I'm just glad you like it."

"I love it!" Bella turned it on, the brand name burning brightly in powder blue lettering. After playing around with the settings a bit, she shut it off and put it away. "Well... I have a present for you, too." She leaned over and pulled out the snow globe. "It's... not as nice and I wasn't able to wrap it." She put it into his hands. He opened the box, taking it out and examining it. Bella suddenly felt self conscious of her gift. "I couldn't think of anything for you to use... um... so yeah..." She stopped as his cold lips gently pressed up against hers. Pulling back, he smiled kindly.

"I love it," he said, mimicking her words. "Really... I do." He kissed her again and then looked at her clock. "Well I should be going. We hunt tonight."

Bella nodded, walking him to the window. "Merry Christmas, Edward."

He opened it and perched atop the ledge. "Merry Christmas, Bella..." With that, he hopped out, practically flying through the dark sky.

This was perhaps the best Christmas of Bella's life.

Well here you are. I guess this isn't much of a "filler" because of Jacob's confession and the update with the nomads... anywho! Keep those reviews a-flowin!

~T.


	26. Intuition

Yayness for all the reviews! I really do love hearing from you guys. It makes me feel loved lol. Anywhos. Here's twenty six. I'm going to try and shoot for thirty chapters or so, but I may not get to it. It's getting close to the end here.

**Twenty Six: Intuition**

**B**ella wasn't quite sure how she and Edward had moved so quickly from talking to playing with each other's tonsils. But some how, she found herself laying flat on her bed, lip locked with the vampire who lay atop of her. As always, his lips were ice cold, while the inside of his mouth was so warm, it was like licking at hot water. Bella could feel chills as his hands moved up and down her sides, and every once and a while, his long eye lashes would tickle the top of her cheeks, making her giggle just a bit. Her father was currently dozing off in his favorite chair, the TV on a high volume. Edward had dropped in to spend some time with her, the two of them talking about light things. Bella had just been showing him a few pictures she had taken with her new camera when she felt a cold mouth touch her neck. About five seconds later, she landed in the spot where she was now. She was so glad Charlie's doctor had prescribed pills for his leg that made him sleepy, and Renee and Phil had left a couple of days after Christmas. Finally, however, Bella had to pull away in order to breathe. She panted, her face flushed heavily. She smiled and Edward did the same, the tips of their noses together. She supposed Edward would be a bit of a rebound after Chris, but in all honesty, it didn't feel like one of those "pick me up" relationships at all. Whenever she tried to think about it, it usually confused her. So she decided to just leave it at what it was. Because whatever it was, Bella sure as hell enjoyed it.

Edward nuzzled her cheek like a fond puppy and she laced her fingers through his hair. "Hm..." she mumbled. "Hey."

"What?" he asked lowly.

"Do you have a reflection?" Edward pulled his head up and looked at her. His lips curled into a smile.

"Last time I checked, yes."

Bella pulled up her camera, turning it on. "So if I took a picture of you... would it show up?"

Edward thought for a bit, staring at it. "It should. Why don't you go ahead and try it?" Bella nodded and held it up to her face, getting the right angle. It charged, the flash nice and ready.

"Ok," she said, getting him into view. "Say... cheese!" She clicked the button. The flash filled her room. When she pulled back, she hit the menu, staring at the screen. Her eyes widened. "Woah..."

"What is it?" Edward tilted the camera so that he could see. Where Edward should have been was instead a very strange blur.

Bella shook her head. "How weird... Maybe it really does have something to do with your soul. Mom took a whole bunch of pictures of me when I was a kid. I hope I still have a good amount of it left... Oh God, I didn't lose any of my soul when I got my prom picture, did I?" She paused. "Hey... why are you laughing?"

Indeed, Edward had been holding his mouth closed, snickering uncontrollably. He finally pulled his hand away and laughed, pushing his forehead to Bella's collar bone. "Sorry!" he said, chuckling still. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself!" He pulled up, grinning from ear to ear. "I moved just as you took the picture."

Bella stared at him and then pouted, hitting his head with the pillow behind her own. "You made me think I lost my own soul, you meanie!" He continued to laugh, evoking a smile out of her as well. Leaning forward, the two kissed a little more, Bella putting her camera aside for now. After eating each other's face for a time, Bella pulled away to speak once more. "So, do you think you and your family are going hunting New Year's Eve?"

Edward furrowed his brow. "New Year's...? Mm... I don't think we are. Why?"

"Well," Bella began, "there's going to be a party at Tyler's house. I was wondering if you wanted to come along."

Edward didn't look like he thought it was a good idea. "Me in a house at night with a big group of humans...? I don't think that's the greatest thought in the world..."

"Oh come on," said Bella, patting his shoulder. "I'll keep you on a tight leash. Besides, what about all of those parties you went to in the twenties?"

"Two completely different things," said Edward. "When I went to those parties, it was usually to get a bite to eat."

"Well then just eat before you come," said Bella simply. "Oh please, Edward? Pretty, pretty please?" She gripped his neck gently, kissing him along his high cheek bone. Finally, he let out a sigh and caved in.

"Yeah, yeah... ok..." He smirked and nibbled at her neck with his front teeth. "But it won't be easy. Hell, I'm tempted to just take a bite right now... You smell great you know..."

They stopped abruptly when there was a knock at Bella's door. "Bells?" came the voice of her father. Charlie cracked it open and smiled. "I'm going to bed. You should probably get some sleep too, all right? Have you been talking on your phone this whole time?"

Bella, who had pulled her cell phone up just in time, smiled at Charlie sheepishly. "Sorry. I'll hang up. Love you, Daddy."

"You too, pumpkin."

She waited until her father was well down the hall, and his door had closed soundly. Her eyes then turned to the ceiling. Just before her father had turned the knob, Edward had jumped off the bed and stuck himself to the top of her room, Spiderman style. She put her phone beside the camera and whispered that he could come down now. He nodded and crawled like a crab from the roof, down her wall, and back onto her bed. He plopped comfortably beside her, head propped up on his elbow.

"You like cutting things close, don't you?" she asked, turning to press herself against him. He grinned, his sharp teeth flashing beneath his lips.

"It makes things fun," he replied softly. They kissed a bit more, Bella's fingertips playing with his earlobes. Suddenly, Alice's warning shot through her mind out of nowhere. She pulled back and lowered her head. She cursed herself for remembering at such a time. What happened to her resolve to let it go and never give it a second thought? She was supposed to have forgotten her haunting words by now...

"Something wrong?" Bella turned her eyes to him. They were fading gold by this point. He had hunted a couple of days ago. Bella chewed on the inside of her lip. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to bring it up...?

"Um..." Bella shifted uneasily, unsure of how to start the conversation. If Edward knew that Alice had paid her a visit, he'd be angry. That would just start a controversy that Bella didn't need. And if Edward pissed his sister off, she might take it out on Bella. Remembering just how quickly she had decapitated those Laurent copies, that was something she really did not want to do. "Well... you say that it wouldn't be a good idea to put you in with humans..." She cast her gaze to the side and finally sat up, twirling her hair a bit nervously. "Is... it going to be problematic that I'm a human and you're not?" The question was bound to come up sooner or later. She turned her eyes to Edward. "I mean... your family. What do they think of me?"

This time, Edward was the one who looked away. He rolled off the bed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Actually... they don't all know..." he confessed. He turned back to her. "I'm sure Rosalie has figured it out by now... but she's not cruel enough to go blabbing. If Carlisle knew about this... Well for lack of a better term, he'd go ape shit."

Bella's heart fell. "You mean... no one but Rosalie knows?" And Alice, but she figured she'd keep that information to herself. "Oh..." She turned her eyes down to her knees. Somehow, she felt disappointed. Like she was hoping she would be accepted by Carlisle and the others. But to wish to be accepted into a family of vampires without actually being immortal probably wasn't the most realistic wish in the world. "Ok. I see..."

"Don't give me that look," said Edward, sitting beside her. He touched his fingertips to her skin. "Your dad doesn't know either, does he?" Bella shook her head.

"But I'd tell him in an instant if you want me to!" she insisted, keeping her voice low. "In fact... you can pick me up for the party! I'll introduce you just like I would any other boyfriend..."

Edward gave her a worried look. "Well... I don't know about that."

"My dad respects Carlisle," Bella continued. "He'd have no problem with you. Really."

He mulled it over a little longer and then nodded. "Alright then. I'll meet your dad." He grinned, leaning forward and running his fingers through the back of her hair. "So now that that's settled..."

"Wait." Edward paused, his lips just an inch from hers. "I want Carlisle to know, too." A frown came to his lips. "Please, Edward? I don't want this to be a secret."

He rubbed his eyes, sighing. "Just... let's wait a bit. I'll tell him in time. Just not now. Ok?"

Bella sighed. She didn't like the idea of wading it out. It felt wrong to go behind Carlisle's back. Though in retrospect, feeling like that when Charlie didn't know that she had a vampire in her room was quite hypocritical. Still, emotions never really relied on logic. She nodded. "Alright. But only for a little bit. Then we tell him, ok?"

"Ok, ok..." Edward kissed her forehead. "I'll tell him soon enough. Don't worry." He ran his hand down her stomach, rubbing it slightly. "Now I'd rather if we stopped talking... We can use our mouths to do so much more..." He lowered his head, their lips connecting once again. At first, Bella wanted to pout because of their decision to remain secretive for a time. But a hundred years of kissing experience soon made her melt, her arms locking around his slender neck. Damn that boy was a good kisser...

He stopped without warning and jerked his head towards the window. Bella, her mind hazy, blinked up at him, confused. "What...?" He shushed her sharply and went to the window, peering through it. There was a silence, Bella's daze leaving her for tense confusion. He stood there for a good five minutes, just staring into the night. His jaw was tightly locked, his hands fisted at his sides. Finally, his body laxed and he turned to her.

"Guess it was nothing," he said, going to sit on the edge of her mattress. "I thought I heard them... The nomads."

Bella felt her chest contract as she sat up, gripping his arm. "The nomads...? But I thought they left Forks already... Rosalie said she hadn't felt anything in a while. She's never wrong... right?"

Edward rubbed his chin, his tongue obviously moving about his fangs beneath his lips. "Right... right... She's never wrong." He let out a sigh and allowed his head to fall to her shoulder. "Well... that kind of ruined the mood." Bella smiled kindly, stroking his hair.

"It's ok," she said gently. "I need some sleep anyway. New Years is just a couple days away. I need to stay awake to make sure you don't grab a snack."

Edward let out a faint laugh. "Right... Well I'll be going then." He leaned forward, placing a light kiss on her lips. "Goodnight, Bella..."

"Good morning, Edward," she joked. After kissing again, the vampire turned and slipped out of her window and into the night. Bella watched him until she could no longer detect his snow white skin. She turned then and went back to her bed, falling to the top. Her hand went to her camera and she pulled it to her face, turning on the menu to look at Edward's blurry picture. True, he had just played a prank on her... but it made her truly come to terms with the fact that the two were different. What would happen when Bella got older? Would he move on? Then again, those questions would really only apply on the presumption that their little affair would last. It may sustain for only a month or two. Who really knew? And with the way Edward felt about Carlisle knowing, telling him might put a damper on it as well. Perhaps that was why she didn't feel this to be a usual "boyfriend-girlfriend" relationship. Because she and Edward were not the usual couple.

"_To love a vampire is to damn yourself to hell..."_

Bella put her camera aside and laid on her back, yanking the covers up to her chin. She was tired of thinking. Before she knew it, her eyes had dropped and she had drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

And here is the next chapter. A quick update, yes. But I wanted to get it out of the way – it's been in my mind for a while now. I guess i'm just eager to get to my finale. It's going to be fun... (evil smile) Remember to leave those reviews!

~T.


	27. New Years

Alright then! We're coming into the final stretch... and don't worry. Once this is done, I plan to get working on "New New Moon" right away. The books will at least give me something to do until I get my REAL books published XD it's going to be called the "Personal Demons" series, by the way. If it ever gets into publication, i'll be sure to let you guys know.

A few answers before I continue:

1) yes, in "New New Moon," Edward does leave, but for a different reason.

2) you have yet to see Edward's dark gift yet... and trust me, it's worth the wait. James' gift is pretty awesome, too.

3) "Breaking Dark Dawn" is going to get a complete make over. It's defiantly going to be more adult and much more dark (hence the name) then the original. I still don't know what to do about "Eclipse" yet... or what to rename it... maybe "Bright Night Eclipse"? I seem to like my pattern of three word titles... or if not, "Midnight Eclipse" may work. Because I refuse to do "Midnight Sun."

4) And yes, it'll stay "T" rated.

PS – I know it's getting a bit boring, but not to worry. I don't let stories stay that smooth for very long.

**Twenty Seven: New Years**

**J**essica's house was a little two story place just a block away from the hardware store. It didn't have the same "homy" feel as Bella's house, and in fact, it was just the opposite. Jessica's home had a symmetrical, perfect feel to it. The carpets were white, the walls baby blue. There were long stemmed flowers in glass vases, laced doilies sitting at their bases. There were two couches in the living room, modern furnishings of white leather and a chrome coffee table. The kitchen was neat and tidy, while the bathroom was even more tediously clean. The whole house smelled slightly of vinegar, and the sight of the snow on the windows gave it all a faint glow to its spotless interior. It was a wonder that in such a meticulous and carefully cared for home, how Jessica's room could have gotten to the state it was in. It almost didn't even look like it was part of the same house. Jessica's room had hot pink walls, posters of male actors and rock band singers plastered along the sides. Bella wasn't sure what color the rug was, as clothes, dishes, books, magazines, empty make up bags, and other miscellaneous covered the entire floor. Though she was pretty certain it was a light brown. That or she had spilled coffee. Her desk top computer sat on a Pepto pink desk, stickers and sparkles glued around the frame. A picture of she and Mike sat beside her lamp, the butterfly print frame tilted to the side. Bella looked around the room, glancing a couple times into the clean hallway to make sure she hadn't stepped into another universe. Jessica had called her earlier and begged her to help clean her room. Her mother refused to allow Jessica to go to Tyler's New Year's party unless it was completely clean. It was currently noon. If they finished in time, Bella might be able to rest her feet before being picked up by Edward. Might being the operative word. She scratched her neck.

"How are we supposed to clean all of this up by tonight?" she asked, staring at the mess. Jessica shrugged.

"I guess we won't know until we start." She tied up her long hair and took out a couple of trash bags. "I can't thank you enough. After this, I'll take you to Port Angeles for a shopping spree. You really are saving my ass, Bella."

Bella smiled. Since their fight/make up, Bella had been worried that things would still be rough between the two of them. But Jessica seemed to have forgotten about it already. Either that or she pushed it aside in order to use her for her own needs. In any case, Bella didn't mind. It got her to push her mind away from that evening – when Edward came by to be introduced to Charlie as her boyfriend. In reality, she shouldn't be worried. Charlie had respect for Carlisle, and they wouldn't be staying long. Still, she supposed it would always be nerve wracking for a girl to bring by her new boyfriend to her father. She shook away her thoughts for now and proceeded to help clean up Jessica's room.

It was without doubt a big job, even for two people. It took them three hours to just get all the garbage picked up and in bags. Bella didn't even want to know what was under Jessica's bed. By the time Jessica had pulled out the vacuum, Bella had all the dirty clothes together and was given directions to the laundry room. Once she put the clothes in, she headed back to Jessica's room, satisfied with their work. She paused, however, when she spotted a few photographs on the hallway table. Bella picked one up, the frame slightly heavy in her hand.

The picture was an old, black and white photo. From what she could see, it was taken in the thirties. It was a picture of a little girl – twelve, perhaps – and her older sister. They were in miss matched clothing, the photo seemed to have been taken outside a small little shanty. The young girl stared at Bella, freckles all around her baby like face. Bella got a strange, familiar twinge in her gut. But she knew she had never seen this girl before...

"Bella?" She looked up to see Jessica poke her head out of the room. "You ok?"

"Who's this?" Bella showed Jessica the picture. She looked at it for a moment.

"Oh that. The tall one is my great grandma, Daisy McCleary. She was the mom of my grandma. The smaller one is my great aunt Annabell. She died when she was sixteen."

Bella instantly knew who it was in the picture. "Annabell... McCleary?"

Jessica frowned. "Yes. Why?"

"How did she die?" she asked carefully.

Jessica shrugged. "She just vanished one day. That's all I really know about it. Everyone just assumed she was dead..." She paused. "Bella... you ok? You're acting weird."

Bella turned her eyes back to the photo. Annabell Susan McCleary stared back at her. What a youthful face... Bella felt a strange knot tie up within her. But the moment she felt it, it ebbed away. She began to smile. For some reason, realizing who Jessica was made her happy. She set the picture down, wondering if she should tell Edward. Then again, maybe it would just bring up old wounds. Bella turned to Jessica, still smiling.

"How much else do we have to do?"

Once their work was finished, and Jessica thanked her profusely, they headed back to Bella's house, the sun having set all ready. Jessica dropped her off, telling her to wear something sexy for that night. Bella planned to do nothing of the sort, but said she'd think about it. Not only did she not have anything that really qualified as "sexy", it was far too cold to wear something revealing. She just had enough time to take a nice bath and change into a better attire, when there was a knock at the door. Bella's insides did summer salts. She turned and scurried to the door before Charlie had a chance to. She opened it, smiling brightly at Edward.

The vampire had trimmed up, if only slightly. He had attempted to comb his messy hair, his clothes straighter then usual. He smiled back at her, the girl inviting him in. Bella swallowed slightly and then turned. "Dad!" she called out. Charlie asked what she wanted from the kitchen. "There's someone I want you to meet!" There was a pause before Charlie hobbled out into the living room. He eyed Edward up and down. Bella's date cleared his throat.

"Um... pleasure to meet you, sir," he said politely. "I'm Edward Cullen. Dr. Cullen's son?"

Charlie gave him another look before nodding. "Oh right. Bella's mentioned you." Bella remembered the first conversation she had about Edward with her father. It seemed so long ago. "Are you the one taking Bells to the party?" Edward nodded. Charlie ran a finger along his mustache before moving his hand out and taking Edward's, shaking it firmly. "Do remember, I don't want her out too late. I know it's New Years, but I want her back no later then one."

"Understood," said Edward. Of course, he was used to Carlisle's harsh and strict tone. So he probably wasn't too intimidated by Charlie. Still, he seemed to be a little uneasy. Charlie gave him one last eyeing before hugging Bella and kissing her forehead.

"You be safe, ok?"

"I will, Dad." She kissed his cheek and took Edward's cold hand, leading him out of the house. She smiled brightly to the boy. "You see? That was relatively painless."

Edward sighed. "He's suspicious of me," he said, head tilted downward. "Then again, most humans by instinct stay away from me." He smiled weakly. "But it doesn't matter. I'm glad he's letting me take you out."

"Same here." Bella pulled him into the truck and started the car. Just before they pulled out of the driveway, Bella leaned forward and kissed his cold cheek. "But for the record, I only stayed away from you because you were a jerk."

Edward laughed at that. "Right. So do you know where we're going?"

"Yeah," said Bella with a nod. "Jessica gave me directions." She paused, remembering that afternoon. As she pulled onto the frost covered road, her headlights on, she began to think. She glanced at him before speaking once more. "You know... Jessica's family's been here in Washington for a few generations."

"Oh?" said Edward, vaguely interested. He kept his eyes on the road.

"Yeah..." She stopped before continuing. "Her great grandmother moved here with her sister when they were young." There was another silence. He didn't seem to know what she was getting at, so she pressed on. "They... well... moved here during the Depression, you know." He turned to look at her, confused. Bella sighed, deciding to come out with it. "Her grandmother was Daisy McCleary, Edward. Annabell's sister." She looked at him at a light to see his reaction. His lips had parted, his eyes widening slightly. He turned his head away, tensing a bit.

"Oh..." was all he said.

Bella continued onward, heading along the road that lead out of town. She bit the inside of her lip. She shouldn't have said anything. She felt like an idiot. She knew it would have brought up old wounds. She felt terrible now...

"I thought she smelled familiar." Bella looked over to Edward curiously. He turned his head back to her. "That Jessica girl that you hang out with... I always thought she smelled familiar, but I couldn't quite place it..." He trailed off, staring at the dash board now. Bella moved her hand over and gently laid her palm on his own. He turned it upwards and squeezed her hand softly.

"I'm sorry," she began.

"Don't be." Bella stopped talking. "It's true... I loved Annabell from the start. I think part of me always will. But it happened so long ago... I'm fine with it." He turned to look at her, smiling gently. "Really. It's fine."

She smiled back a bit and nodded. "Right... well... I just thought you'd want to know something like that."

Edward let his eyes gaze out into the night sky, looking at nothing. He smiled into the distance, his gaze warm. "I appreciate it. Thank you." He gave her hand another squeeze. Bella didn't reply. She didn't have to, in her opinion. Inside her, she felt a warmth and pride fill her chest. Perhaps a small part of her had been jealous. Even though she knew that Annabell was long gone, there was a small piece of her that resented the young girl for loving him first. And now... now that he said out loud that he had moved well past her... she felt pride in knowing that now, she was the one who held his attention.

The rest of the drive was silent. When they finally did come to Tyler's house, Bella realized just how far away from town it was. What she realized even before that, was how incredibly big it was. Bella was in awe at the house – no. Not a house. Tyler's dwelling was one pillar short of a mansion. It rose high above the dark, iced ground, cars and trucks already parking around the vicinity of the grounds. It was a three story manor, with high windows alight with bright lamps and party lights. The oak doors were huge, standing boldly against the stone gray, outer walls. She and Edward got out, music already heard throbbing from the home. They moved through the open, rod iron fence, noticing that the guest list probably included the entire school and their older siblings. She took Edward's hand, spying a hot tub lit up in the dark and steaming out against the snow. It was a concept that Bella never quite got. Sure, it was nice to be in some place hot when the weather was so cold, but how would one feel getting out once they were done? Bella went to the porch and invited Edward inside, looking around. She spotted the others immediately in the plethora of guests that mulled about in the living room. In the dim lighting and mesh of people, she wasn't able to get a lot of details from the room itself, save the stairwell that went up to the second floor, a small closet beneath it. She lead Edward towards the group, the vampire shadowing right behind her. Bella realized that he was trying to keep himself well out of sight, so when she got up to the others, she didn't introduce him. Though she could tell everyone noticed his presence.

"You've got a great house!" Bella yelled over the speakers. Ignoring Edward, Tyler grinned brightly.

"Thanks!" he shouted back. "Dad owns an oil rig a ways off shore!"

"Well if your dad owns an oil rig, why do you have such a shitty van?!" hollered Mike, his arm around Jessica's waist.

Tyler shrugged. "I like old things!" he responded. "Dad let me restore it from junk! I love it!"

Bella chuckled, but stopped as she saw Jessica's face. It was uneasy, almost fearful. She noticed that her eyes were pointed at Edward. Bella looked up to see that the vampire was staring at the girl. Her heart clenched as they looked at one another. Jessica yanked on Mike's arm, the two turning and leaving the group to go dance. Edward watched the back of her head until it disappeared into the crowd. He then lowered his gaze. Bella shook her head and looked back to Tyler. After a little bit of conversation, Bella pulled her date away and took him to the edge of the room. She watched as a mass of people danced to a generic hip hop song Bella remembered hearing on the radio once. She turned to Edward, who was watching as well.

"Do you want to dance?" she asked. Bella wasn't much of a dancer herself, but there really wasn't anything to it. All she really had to do was stand in one place and sway from side to side. Edward made a sour face.

"You call this dancing?" he replied. "The twenties... now that was dancing! And this music? Psh! I miss the sixties. The music these days isn't anything compared to back then! It's been going downhill since the eighties! And – !" He stopped suddenly when Bella began to laugh, clutching her hand to her mouth. "What?!"

Bella laughed a bit more. She then stood up and play punched his arm. "Quit being such an old man!" she teased. She took his hands and pulled him into the crowd. "Come on. Let's dance!" She recognized a Black Eyed Peas song and began to bop up and down where she was, pulling him close. He obviously had never danced like this before, and she hadn't had much practice. So the two were basically on even ground as far as dancing went. In fact, Bella was sure they looked terrible together. But she didn't mind. She was starting to have fun. And as the two swayed back and forth together, she was sure that he was starting to have fun too. He smiled a bit, keeping his hands on her hips. It wasn't long before the songs began to sound the same, the two simply bouncing to the beat. It even escalated into grinding at one point. Bella could tell by holding his hand and touching his face that his skin was two things – cold and hard. But when they grinded together, their fronts plastered to one another, Bella realized that a few other things were quite... hard as well. In any other situation, she would have chastised herself for having a perverted mind, but the heat of the jumping bodies and the pounding music caused her mind to be foggy and not care. But her euphoria soon ended once her legs began to hurt, and her breath was coming in pants. They stumbled out of the crowd, a thin layer of sweat on her neck and forehead. She could already tell that her face was flushed; her cheeks felt as though they were on fire. Whether it was because of the dancing or of her thoughts, she wasn't sure.

She and Edward migrated to the refreshments table, Bella pouring herself a cup of punch. She was sure to smell it first though. She knew that free liquids had a tendency to attract alcohol at these kinds of parties. The last thing she wanted to do was go home with liquor on her breath. Charlie would chain her to her room for months. After making sure there wasn't any booze in her fruit punch, she took a drink and leaned against the table. She felt an icy hand make its way around her neck and she shuttered from the contrast. She fell into giggles, leaning against Edward's firm chest. He hadn't so much as broken a sweat.

"I'm so jealous," she said, slapping his chest playfully. "You don't have to take a rest. I bet your legs don't even hurt!"

"Nope," said Edward with a grin. Thankfully, the refreshments table was in the kitchen, the music slightly less loud. Of course, they had to endure at least two couples making out in dark corners, but she didn't particularly care, and neither did Edward, it seemed.

"Lucky." She took a long breath, closing her eyes. She listened as the next song started up. Taking this time, she opened her eyes and looked to the ceiling. It was a high, exquisitely furnished kitchen to match the rest of the elegant house. She noticed something unusual. Instead of a regular fire alarm, Tyler's house actually had a sprinkler system that one would see in stores or restaurants. Strange... but she guessed with a house that big, it'd be wise to have an automatic sprinkler system. She shook her head, setting the drink aside. Rounding to him, she let her hands lay flat against his chest. "Thank you for coming," she said sincerely. "I really appreciate it. I always feel so awkward if it's just me at a party like this."

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "It's definitely a flash back for me. Though the parties in New York were a little tamer then this. Same basic thing though."

Bella nodded, taking another drink. They spoke for only a minute more before they heard the frantic voice of someone familiar. Edward perked up as the two of them recognized his name being called from the front. They looked at one another and moved to the entrance. Rosalie stood at the open door, pacing. She let out a sigh of relief. "So you are here! Thank God!" She yanked on her brother's arm. "Come on! We have to get out of here!"

"Woah, woah!" Edward held up his hands. "What? What are you talking about, Rosalie?"

She let out a hurried groan. "Remember how I couldn't detect the nomads for a while?" she began.

Edward furrowed his brow. "Yeah, what about it?"

"I forgot what kind of situation the moon was in this month!" she continued, rushed. "The lunar mist has been heavy all this! Too heavy! It's been blocking my signal until tonight!"

Bella felt her heart drop within her chest as she saw Edward's eyes widen with shock. "Until tonight...?" he repeated slowly.

Rosalie dropped her voice. "The nomads never left," she hushed roughly. "They've been here the entire time...!"

As if on cue, the power suddenly shut off inside the house, dousing the lights and turning off the music. Bella jumped and clutched Edward's arm. She could hear protests inside, voices demanding to know where the music had gone. Rosalie cursed under her breath. "They're already here... We have to go!" A thought suddenly ran through Bella's mind.

"Wait!" she said, stopping the two vampires. "What about them?" She gestured to the people inside. Rosalie furrowed her brow.

"I don't think the nomads would be after them..."

But Bella didn't want to take chances. She turned and ran into the kitchen. Through the dark, she fumbled around until she found a lighter in the junk drawer. She scurried onto the top of the butcher's block and steadied herself until coming up to the sprinkler that she noticed from earlier. She snapped it on and held the flame up to the metal, the fire licking the flat bottom of the thing. Suddenly, it burst out in water, as did every other sprinkler in the house. Bella felt a leap of joy in her prediction – she assumed that if they had messed with the power, they wouldn't have gotten the separated fire alarm system. She tossed the lighter to the side as shouts and hollers came from the party guests, the crowd starting to hurry outside. At least now they wouldn't be sitting ducks. Bella hurried out, now soaked and gripping her arms. "L-let's take my truck. We need to b-blend in with the crowd." They agreed and hurried outside, Edward keeping a firm arm around her body. Bella kept her fearful eyes to the sky. How far would they go this time? She gripped Edward's shirt and shivered, praying Charlie would stay at home.

And thus the chase begins. You _really_ don't think i'd leave the story in such a slump of peace, would you? Tee-hee...

~T.


	28. The Beast

Ok! So, to clear a thing or two up: yes, logically it would make more sense for Bella to leave everyone in the house, but if the nomads did attack, everyone would freak and try to get away, making it easy picken's for three hungry vampires. Where as if they leave now, they'll just head back home and stay there to get warm and dry.

**Twenty-Eight: The Beast**

**B**ella drove her truck as quick as she could without being conspicuous. She was thankful that the other party guests were starting to leave. It gave them a good cover for going through the crowd. As she drove, her mind raced. Where were they now? What in God's name did they want? Why couldn't they just leave them alone? Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she thought this. It was bad enough when she turned the corner and was face to face with their attackers, but being unaware of just where they were... it was frightening, to say the least. It was like slowly going through waist high, murky water, knowing that crocodiles and snakes swam there. Once out of the mob, Bella sped towards the dirt road that lead through the thick of the forest. Rosalie had instructed her that they needed to go to the Cullen home in order to speak with Carlisle. If they were going to do anything about this, they needed to do it together. They rushed up the side of the hill, Bella pushing her old truck as fast as it could go. She kept her eyes on the road, the other two in the cab keeping their senses elsewhere. Rosalie tried hard to focus on the nomads' auras, but with the moon being how it was, it was hard for her to lock on their auras for a long time. Finally, they arrived at the Cullen residence, the three of them hurrying inside. Carlisle and the others met them in the living room.

"Rosalie," said Carlisle quickly. "You said it was something important. What is it?"

"The nomads," said Rosalie quickly. Emmet hurried to her side.

"What?" he began. "But I thought..."

"It was the lunar mist," Edward explained. "It's been blocking her signal until now. We need to get Bella out of here. They're probably still after her to get to us."

Carlisle frowned. "Edward... You and Miss Swan seemed to have grown attached lately. Do you realize that this indecent is more then likely your fault?" He was about to say more, when a hand fell to his shoulder. He sighed as Esme squeezed him. "But that's a matter for another day. Right now, we need to concern ourselves with the matter at hand." Bella felt her tense body loosen as he let the subject go. She glanced at Edward and looked at her feet. She couldn't help thinking that this was her fault. No... she knew it was. If she hadn't invited Edward that day, the nomads would have never seen her. And if she and Edward didn't start to foolishly get involved, there would be no way for the nomads to connect the two of them. It would have saved a lot of trouble for the Cullens. She gripped the hem of her shirt and looked up.

"Dr. Cullen... sir..." Carlisle looked at her, a bit surprised that she began talking. "I... I'm sorry that I'm causing so much trouble. But I promise I'll do everything I can to help fix it. I don't want the nomads here any more then you do... Just tell me what to do."

Carlisle arched a thin eyebrow. He was obviously surprised at her bravado, and in all honesty, she was surprised as well. He shook his head. "There isn't much you can do. Not at the moment any way. If the situation changes, I'll be sure to inform you." He rubbed his face in thought. "Now... like Edward said, we need to get Bella out of here. Perhaps leading them out of Forks would be a good idea. Although, I can't seem to know what they're really planning." He turned to Rosalie and Esme. "Go to the reservation. Update the Blacks and make sure we have their full support. We might need back up if we're dealing with a multiplier, a morphose, and God only knows what the third one is..."

"We can fight them without their help, can't we?" Edward insisted.

"I don't want to take any chances," Carlisle said simply. "If we can get extra help, we'll take it." Edward didn't seem to like that idea, but Bella was grateful to Carlisle's idea. She knew Jacob would help any way he could, and with what happened the last time they came face to face, she would rather they had a little extra. She watched as the two vampires hurried out through the back of the house, heading to the reservation. Bella turned to the head vampire.

"Is my dad going to be ok?" she asked earnestly. Carlisle nodded.

"Just so long as he's unaware of what's happening," he said simply. "I think Mr. Black will make sure that he doesn't leave his home." Bella wrung the hem of her shirt, nervously. That might help, but still... She worried. The last time he was on his own with those nomads on the loose... She didn't want to remember it. She felt a frantic sense of urgency overtake her and she gripped Edward's arm, tugging on it.

"We have to go there," she pleaded with him. "We have to make sure my dad is safe!"

Edward frowned. "We don't have time," he argued. "We need to focus on getting you out of the way so that we can deal with them properly."

"But if they get to my dad again, they might kill him!" said Bella hurriedly. "We have to go! Right now!" She looked at the others, who didn't seem as though they were ready to follow her. She became angry. Why were they so hesitant? They knew the dangers that Charlie faced if he was alone. Look what happened last time! Why would they just stand there, staring at her? She turned and was about to leave herself – in a fit of irritation – when she felt two large hands take her shoulders. She looked up to Emmet, who had a firm hold on her.

"Relax," he said kindly. "Don't worry about it, ok? He'll be fine. It's not them they're after." Bella tried to protest. Her father was unaware and unprepared should anything like this happen again. She needed to go to him... to make sure he was safe. But... on the one hand, Emmet was right. They might think that he was dead for all Bella knew. She bit her lip, gripping her hands tightly. She didn't want to just abandon him... She looked up as her hands suddenly became cold. Edward was gently clutching them with his own.

"He'll be fine," he said lowly. "I promise you he'll be fine." Bella looked into his sincere, golden eyes. She trusted him... She knew Edward would not allow anything to happen to her or her father... And yet, she still worried. But she supposed there wasn't much she could do at the moment. She nodded, her eyes casting downward.

"Well now that that's settled," came the smooth voice of Alice. It made Bella jump and turn to look at her. She smiled slyly, a dress of chocolate brown on her slim figure now. "I suggest we get her out of the state... Or at least out of the city limits. Canada, perhaps?"

"Sounds like a plan," said Carlisle. He turned to the others. "We'll escort her out of the state. If the nomads decide to follow, we'll find some way to either loose them or trap them."

"But will a trap work?" asked Emmet, folding his thick arms. "We tried that once before."

"We'll just have to see." Carlisle motioned for the others to follow. Bella staid close to Edward, her heart trembling. The plan that they had at the moment was hardly much of a plan at all... but it was all they had to go on right now. They rushed outside, the cold absolutely numbing, when they all stopped, realizing who was waiting for them.

The nomads stood in front of them, eyes blazing and fangs at the ready. Laurent stood in the middle of the two others, Victoria's arms already transforming into dagger like appendages. Bella felt Edward get closer to her, a low rumbling vibrating off of his chest. Bella let her eyes trail to James. He stood near the back, eyes locked on the human. He looked the least ready for a fight, and yet... his glaring gaze was the most terrifying of the three. She shuttered and gripped Edward tightly. Laurent rant a tongue along his white teeth.

"Evening," he said lowly. "Beautiful night tonight... don't you think?"

Carlisle stood in front of the others, noble and strong. In the moonlight, he reminded Bella of some strange, white knight, fearlessly glaring at the face of death. Or perhaps it was the terror of the situation simply making things more dramatic? In any case, Bella suddenly felt a profound respect for Carlisle. He kept his eyes firm, his jaw tight. "What do you want?" he asked evenly. "We have given you opportune time to leave in peace. Why do you insist on making this difficult?"

A laugh came from Laurent's throat, amused that Carlisle would ask such a question. "Why? What a silly question..." He stood up straighter, snapping his fingers. Just as before, Laurent copies rushed out of his body, taking several positions around the Cullens, all equally menacing. They licked their lips, grinning and seething. "Peace keepers are so irritating to the rest of us," Laurent continued. "And the Cullens... the most infamous of the pacifist vampire clans... Do you know how much you and your little 'family' is despised?" He lowered himself, the others following suit. They looked ready to leap, like tigers or lions ready to kill. "And once we bring your heads to the Volturi on silver platters, we'll gain legions of respect... We'll be worshiped! All because we got rid of everyone's most irritating pests... But first – " he laughed, his fangs growing longer, " – we're going to devour that little human pet of yours, just to piss you off."

With that, they all jumped at once. Bella was pushed to the ground as the sounds of feral snarling and the feeling of wind rushing past her made her cower against the grass. Timidly, she chanced a look up to what she was seeing. Instead of the fast paced, areal battle that she saw the first time, this was much more graphic and gruesome. She watched Edward swipe at the nomads, his face twisted into something demonic. His eyes were a light with anger and fury, his hands curved to resemble claws. She watched as blood spat out from several places, shooting into the moonlight. Her eyes fell to Carlisle. He now had a large scar across his face, which was quickly healing. All the while, he was trying to hold of James, who was giving him a run for his money. Just behind him, Bella watched as Victoria stretched her arm out, launching it to Carlisle's back. Bella wanted to shout, but stopped when Emmet jumped in front of it. One second, he was the fleshy body that she was used to, and the next, his body turned to the consistency of stone, stopping Victoria's arm abruptly and making her retract it in pain.

Bella felt something tug at her arm. She looked up to see Jasper, yanking her to her feet. Without a word, he tossed her onto his back and began to run. Bella hung on for dear life, realizing that Jasper was going much faster then any speed Edward had ever attempted. The wind stung her eyes, making them water terribly, as falling leaves whipped her face and arms. She shut her eyes to stop them from burning and gripped on tighter. Jasper must have been the fastest of the Cullens. Finally, they came to an abrupt halt. Bella lurched forward before slipping off onto shaky legs. She fell to the ground, panting and looking up to Jasper, who stood before her. She pulled her knees to her chest, nodding at him. They must have been deep in the forest, the moon being blocked from the thicket of the canopy above them. "Th...thank you," she said weakly. Jasper paused, staring at her as silently as ever. He then dropped in front of her, crouching on his heals and putting his hands on his knee caps. It was then that Bella realized what a youthful face he had, even though he kept it so sullen. He must have been no older then fourteen when he was turned. She stared at him, and he did the same. Carefully, she moved to her knees, resting her hands in her lap. There was another pause between them, and Jasper did the same. Bella smiled softly, but this time, he did not mirror her. "Um... Jasper... Don't you talk at all?"

"Yes," he said finally. She was right when she guessed his age. His voice was still boyish. He probably hadn't gone all the way through puberty yet.

Bella nodded. "Well that's good..." She looked at her hands, fidgeting with her fingers. "Um... Jasper... I know you don't really like white women... But I'd like to be your friend. If you'll let me of course." She looked back up to him, hopeful. She didn't want to be on such hostile terms with the boy. In a way, she felt like she was dealing with Edward all over again. He shifted where he sat.

"I dunno," he said finally. He looked over to the side, thinking it through. He must have been deep in thought, so Bella didn't disturb his concentration. He looked back over to her. "Why?"

"Oh." That question caught her off guard. "Well... it's just..." She rubbed the back of her neck. How could she explain this? "I just want to be friends, that's all. There's really no reason."

There was another silence. Jasper then slid his legs out from underneath him and crossed them, putting his hands on his gray ankles; for he still did not wear shoes. Bella supposed he was more comfortable without them. "You're like Miss Bessy," he stated suddenly.

"Who?" asked Bella.

"Miss Bessy," he repeated. "She was my Master's daughter... She wanted to be friends, too. But her Pa got so mad..." He trailed off, not saying anything more. He did, however, subconsciously rub his arm and shoulder blade. Bella felt her heart sink. He had probably been punished for it profusely.

"Oh..." She thought things over. "Well... no one's going to get mad if we're friends, right?" She smiled kindly then, and carefully touched his hand. He drew it away, but not as quickly as Bella would have assumed. Bella was about to say something else, when Jasper snapped his head up and shot to his feet. Bella did the same, eyes pointed where his was. From out of the shadows came none other then James. His eyes glared through the dark, causing chills to run down Bella's spine.

"Good evening," he growled, his teeth flashing threateningly. Bella noticed that his fangs were spattered with a bit of pink, his hands with a few splotches of crimson. The sight made her stomach curl within her. "It's not nice to leave without saying goodbye, you know..." He took a few steps forward. As he did, Bella saw something change about him. His skin began to grow dimmer, and more scaly in texture. His feet started to elongate, his back going rigid and twisting into a beast like curve. His face stretched into something resembling a bat's face, his fangs growing to the point of being small tusks. His fingers became longer as well, his nails extending to make talons. The back of his shirt ripped open, flesh colored, scaly wings beginning to spout from his shoulder blades. They stretched out at least three feet each, flapping beside him. Large nostrils flaring, his eyes also changed. Instead of the usual black, or the alluring gold, their color changed, filling up the entire iris with a deep, bright scarlet. James's jaw unhinged and opened wide, slobber dripping from his teeth. He screeched, making Bella cringe and cover her ears in fright.

Without another thought, Jasper once more threw Bella onto his back and rushed along the forest floor. From above, Bella could hear the flapping of his accursed wings, his sounds like nails on a chalk board. Bella could feel Jasper sharply turn left and right, trying to loose him. At times, she felt his hot breath on her neck, his smell like rotting corpses. She begged Jasper to go faster in her mind, gripping onto him as tightly as she could. All of the sudden, Jasper jerked forward, and he and Bella came tumbling down. Bella tried to scream, but her lungs wouldn't retain the air needed for it. They rolled out of the forest and onto a cement road. She laid there for only a second before forcing herself on her knees to look over to Jasper.

He was panting and crying out, gripping his leg. Long claw marks pierced his leg, blood dribbling from his wound to the ground. Bella rushed over and pressed her hands on the marks, trying to stop the bleeding. It was only a second more when Bella heard the ominous flapping above her. She jerked her eyes to the sky, seeing James's flying figure above her. She shook with fear, looking to Jasper's wound. It was starting to heal, but it wasn't going fast enough. She looked around and spotted a splintered stick of wood that tumbled along with them. She grabbed it and stood, holding it at the ready. She was prepared to defend herself and Jasper no matter what it took.

James floated to the ground, his blood red eyes shimmering in the silver mist of the moon. He began to slowly make his way over to her, his wings spread out, giving him an even grander look of terror. She held her temporary stake with all her might, though it did not stop her hands' tremor. She could see his twisted grin as he came closer, snarling with each breath he took. But just as he was two feet from her, blinding lights came out from behind and a honk rang through the night air. The light flashed right in James's eyes and he flailed back, hissing and covering his face. Bella turned to see Jacob skid to the side, stopping the car. Esme and Rosalie were in the passenger's seat.

"Jasper's hurt!" was the first thing she said. The two vampires hopped out and rushed to their fallen comrade. Rosalie turned to Bella.

"Get in the truck!" she ordered. "Jacob will take you out of here!"

"But what about – ?"

"Just GO!"

Bella jumped and then rushed to the truck, clamoring inside. Jacob spared no time in turning the truck around and flooring it down the road. Bella looked out the rear view mirror and watched until the figures they left behind were no longer in sight.

OMG! CLIFF HANGER! XD sorry, I love suspense! But now we saw James's dark gift. And soon, we'll be seeing Edward's.

~T.


	29. Escape

Sorry I haven't updated for a bit. I've been at Anime Expo for a few days XD Glad to see you're all excited! Don't worry... Edward's gift is coming up soon.

**Twenty Nine: Escape**

**T**hough they were no longer in range of the nomads' fire, Bella could not help but feel agitated and on edge. She kept looking out the window and in the mirrors, as though expecting to see one of the Cullens. She shook her head and looked to Jacob, who was focused on driving. His hands were tight on the steering wheel, his eyes focused on the dark road. Bella watched him for a moment before gripping her seat belt and staring at the floor. She felt like she wanted to say something... She wanted to tell him to run back. To take them back and help the others before it was too late. It was only then that she realized she had carried that splinter of wood she had been planning to use with her. She looked at it objectively, running her fingers down the grains. It was smooth and somewhat warped. It didn't quite look like a stake at all, in fact. Just a piece of wood. She began to pick at it, pulling off strips of bark in order to make one end at least slightly pointed. She tapped that end with her finger. It wasn't perfect... But it might just have to do. She laid the stake on her lap and closed her eyes. "Are you taking me to Canada?" she finally asked. She opened her eyes to see Jacob nod stiffly.

"Rosalie updated me," he began. "I'm going to take you past the boarder and see if we can't hide out there for a couple of days.

Bella felt a squirming in her stomach. A couple of days...? And a driving trip across Washington was long in itself. What about Charlie? She couldn't call him... What could she say? He would be so worried... She could just imagine him, staying up late at night, or driving around in his car, calling out Bella's name in hopes that she would answer. Her heart wrenched at the thought. And what if the nomads didn't leave after she did? If they saw him in his cruiser, desperately searching for her, there would be no way he could stay safe... or alive, for that matter. It made Bella so sick with worry she felt as though she was going to throw up. She turned to Jacob, desperation in her eyes.

"We have to go back to my house," she pleaded. "I can't let dad think I've gone missing! Please, Jacob!" She clung to his arm, her body shaking.

"I can't..." he began.

"You have to! Just think what he'll do if he realizes I'm gone? He'll kill himself trying to find me! And the nomads... If they saw him again, what do you think will happen?" Jacob glanced at her and turned back to the road.

"My dad will – "

"You can't guarantee that the nomads will leave him alone!" Bella interrupted. "He almost died last time! You saw him! Please, _please_ Jacob! I can't leave him like this!"

Jacob was clearly having a conflict of interests. He pained his face, trying to think of some logical argument that Charlie would be fine. But it was obvious that he was just as worried of the man's safty as she was. With a groan, he spun the truck around and headed back towards Forks. "Dammit... If this thing goes badly..."

"It won't," said Bella. Though she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince him or herself. She clutched the stake tightly, hoping to God that something this crude would work. Sure it worked on a Laurent copy, but Bella highly doubted that a copy of a vampire had enough stamina to match a vampire itself.

"What are you going to say to him?" She turned her eyes to Jacob. "To your dad, I mean? Do you have a story in mind?" That caught Bella off guard.

"Oh... Well, no..." She had forgotten that Charlie couldn't know any of this. She began to gnaw on her lower lip. What was she supposed to say to him now? What could she say to him? What could she do to make him not worry? Maybe she should tell him that she's running away for a few days? No... he'd try to talk her out of it. Say she'd just explain later? He'd never let it slide... Oh God, what was she to do!? She put her head in her hands, at a loss for thought. Maybe she could take him with her? But he would want to know why... Kidnap him! Yes, she would get him knocked out and then kidnap him to Canada. But then he would want to know why.

The truck suddenly stopped, causing both Jacob and Bella to lurch forward. Bella grabbed onto the dash board so she wouldn't hit her head, and then looked to Jacob, who was just as confused. He pressed his foot on the gas, but they only heard the sounds of the tires spinning. The engine roared in protest, trying hard to break free of whatever held it. Had they driven into a rut? Bella turned around and gasped, Jacob looking as well.

Victoria was behind the truck, her long arms piercing the bed of the vehicle, keeping it in place. She had a few wounds that were healing over, her bushy hair even more wild. Her fiery eyes blazed through the night, making Bella tremble with fright. She let the truck go, the thing jerking quickly. Jacob put on the breaks just before the grill of the truck made it to the edge of the road. Incidentally, the edge lead to a very large cliff. If they had gone a few feet more on the icy curve, they would have been killed instantly. With a growl, Jacob got out of the truck. Bella didn't dare follow, but rushed to the window and rolled it down. "Jacob!" she called. He didn't even seem to hear her. His breath made thick fog as he glowered at the vampire. Victoria laughed, tauntingly.

"Well well, big bad wolf!" she teased. "Coming to get me? Hm?"

Jacob wasn't intimidated. He stood there, spreading his feet a bit apart and holding out his hands. Bella felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle. She watched intently as his back became rigid. A fine, white hair began to grow on his hands, his ebony locks beginning to bleed snow. He fell to all fours, Bella noticing his eyes becoming pure silver. His face became a snout like feature, and his ears stretched into wolf ears. A tail protruded from his spine, fangs dripping from saliva. The hair on the line of his back stood on end and he howled. Bella suddenly remembered a line from _Dracula_.

_Listen to the children of the night... Oh what music they make!_

In a fit of snarls, Jacob launched himself at Victoria. The vampire dodged him and began to throw her extendable arms towards the wolf. Jacob jumped from place to place, leaping over the on coming attacks nimbly. Then, the white beast ran forward, clamping his jaw tightly around Victoria's neck. She screamed, trying to pry Jacob off. But a super natural wolf was not like a normal animal – Bella realized that they must have been equal in strength, for Victoria could not pull him away. Dark red blood squirted out from the wound, tainting Jacob's beautiful fur.

"You."

Bella jumped and looked up to see the stern face of Sam staring at her. She hadn't known Sam all that well. At least not as well as she knew Jacob. They had swapped words on occasion, but never a full conversation. His hard, steal eyes caused her to shutter, her gaze lingering a bit on his bear print tattoo. "Go," he said, his voice matching his strong figure. "Jacob and I can handle this." Bella was about to protest, but a small part of her feared Sam just as much as she feared the nomads. She gave one last look to the battling wolf, and then nodded. Turning the truck back on, she drove off into the night.

Never was there such an eerie silence. She saw signs passing her, and realized that Jasper must have run incredibly far. She was well outside the city limits. She figured that she'd have at least an hour before returning home. She didn't dare turn on the radio. The noise may distract her from her fear, but it also might cover up a flapping of wings, or a growl of breath. If she was being chased, she wanted to know about it. Her sweaty hands stayed attached to the wheel, trying hard to calm down her pattering heart. Slowly, her pulse began to calm. She took a deep breath and sighed, letting her blood cool. Worry still swam around in her mind, and she still had no idea of what to tell Charlie, but she had no choice. She needed to get him to a safe place. And as for Jacob, she could only hope that Sam could help. She also hoped that the Cullens were all ok, particularly little Jasper. In that one little moment they had together, she realized that the boy was probably a very tender soul, despite his outward appearance. If anything happened to him, Bella would never forgive herself.

With a shake of her head, she continued driving. First thing's first. Getting back to Forks. As she drove, she realized just how odd it was. Pushing aside her fear, she looked at her situation objectively. Though she knew that violence was happening to those who were dear to her, she heard none of it. When she thought about it, it was quite surreal. What could be happening to her friends? They could be screaming... crying out or wailing. Flesh could be being torn from them, bones could be breaking. And yet... all Bella heard was silence.

She turned onto a different road, surprised by just how barren it was. Usually on a New Year's, there would be cars flashing by, shouts of drunken laughter in their wake. But this night, Bella's car was the only one on the road. It added to the haunting fears that lingered in her mind.

She glanced at the rear view mirror, when she spotted something. Her heart jumped into her mouth and she narrowed her eyes, but by the time she looked again, it had gone. A bird, perhaps? Her newly calmed self once more got into a frenzy. No... she knew it wasn't a bird. She looked to the mirror that hung off the side, shifting it with the arrows to get a better look. It was gone. Her breath became faster. Where did it go...?

She wanted to get a better look, but she didn't even think to stop the truck and get out. That's how white chicks in horror movies died. She continued to drive, speeding up in hopes of loosing her tail. But she knew it was far out of the realm of possibilities. That's when she saw ten nails pierce the roof of the truck loudly. Bella's heart shot into her head. For a moment, she didn't know what to do. She slammed on the breaks. James was unlogged from the roof and fell onto the hood of the truck. His red eyes darted to Bella and he hissed. Thinking quickly, Bella threw the truck in reverse and sped backwards down the road. James scrambled to stay on, his nails pealing the top sheet of metal like curling chocolate. When his body was just in front of the grill, Bella threw it back into drive and slammed him into a tree. He screeched, his wings fluttering in pain. Bella drew back and smashed into him once more. She pulled back and was about to do it again, when James's hands gripped the hood. He seethed with rage, his fangs dripping with spit. He gave a loud holler and tore for Bella, breaking the front windshield. She kicked, punched, scratched and bit as best she could. She could feel strong hands grip her arms and she was yanked from her seat. Before she knew it, she was up in the air, struggling. As she was kidnapped, she realized that he stake was still in the truck.

Her one hope for defending herself was now gone.

Again, another cliff hanger! I know, I know. We all want to see Edward's gift. Don't worry about that. It'll be in the next chapter!

~T.


	30. Fog in the Moonlight

Alright! We now are counting down the last three chapters! And yes... NOW you will see Edward's dark gift!

**Thirty: Fog in the Moonlight**

**B**ella did not make the kidnapping easy for James by any means. She struggled and screamed, scratching and kicking at any piece of body she could reach. At one point, she even got in a good elbow in his nose. She would have tried harder, but she was constantly reminded of the good fifty to a hundred foot drop below her. She was actually thankful from time to time that he had such a good grip on her. The cold air whipped at her face, causing her to drown in the cold air. She shivered, panting and moving to get warm. It got to a point to where she actually felt her skin grow numb, the rough hold of James' hands painful to her arms. Finally, she felt the two of them going downward. She saw something rushing up to greet them. In the light of the moon, she recognized a dark wooden roof, ashy gray smoke stacks spouting from the top. She braced herself.

She and James burst through the roof. Bella felt the impact, pain throbbing through her already freezing body. It was as though every bone in her body was broken. Splinters sliced her skin, catching into her arms and face. She coughed, a few in her mouth as well. It was only a second after they had crashed through the roof that she was thrown to the ground. The pain she felt before doubled, and she could hear something snap. She cried out, clutching her shoulder blade. It hurt so badly, she was having a hard time controlling her tears. When she finally did look up, her vision was blurred to the point of giving her a head ache. She attempted to focus, though she could recognize the horrid form of James looming over her. He paced lightly, his red eyes blazing through her misted eyes. A laugh echoed against her ears.

"I was beginning to think capturing you wasn't worth it," he seethed. "But after watching you wriggle... I guess I was wrong." She could feel her chin being taken roughly by his clawed hand. "You do look so lovely when you're close to death." In a jagged motion, he threw her head back to the floor. She coughed, feeling bruises starting to make themselves known. She whimpered, gripping her head with her good hand. He laughed at her simpering and kicked her hard in the stomach. It winded her, and she curled up like an armadillo, clutching her mid section. "You know..." He began to slowly walk around her. She could hear his foot steps circling her body. Like a vulture. "All that time, and you didn't call out for your precious Cullen..." He knelt beside her and picked her up by the throat. Such an action forced her to open her eyes, observing his grotesque face. He grinned at her, his breath like a mildew ridden sweat. "Why is that?" he breathed. Bella felt a fury and defiance rage inside of her. Not thinking before she acted, she spat in his face. He shut his eyes, a tense pause between them. Without warning, he stood and threw her across the room like a rag doll. She fell to the floor, unable to move. An oozing, oily substance made it down her face from her temple. A sadistic laugh fell from James's throat.

"Ahh..." He once more picked her up, pinning her to the wall. "Finally... You smell delicious, my dear... May I have a taste...?" His tongue slipped from his mouth. Bella tried to protest, her voice coming out in a strange, throaty noise. The wet organ seemed to stretch itself even further then the average body part. It slowly licked up the side of her head, gathering the blood. Bella felt as though her stomach was twisting itself into disgusted knots. She nearly felt nauseous. When he was finished with that, he pulled back his tongue, his eyes glowing brighter. "You do not disappoint... I like that..." After that, he threw her once more to the ground. Bella tried to look up, but the motion in her bones felt non existent at this point. She looked through her fuzzy vision and realized just where she was. She hadn't noticed before for obvious reasons, but she now could recognize the interior old saw mill. She even spotted the hole in the wall she had made the last time she and Edward were there. Her sight was blocked as James's sneering face hovered over her.

"What will he think," he continued, "when he sees your head sent to him... in a box?" He laughed and picked her up once more by the throat. He tossed her onto the old conveyor belt and pinned her down. In such a position, it almost looked like he was going to take advantage of her. He lowered his fang heavy mouth to her neck, the broken shoulder blade searing in pain at the pressure. Bella sobbed, her heart erratic now. What was she going to do? She was at a loss. She was alone, terrified, and looking at death. How could she get out? How? Her breath became even more labored as she felt the tips of his fangs at her skin. No... she couldn't let this happen! But what to do? She took in as much breath as she could, and at the top of her lungs, she screamed:

"_EDWARD!!!_"

James hesitated, his fangs pulling back a bit. There was a silence. Bella waited... but nothing happened. Nothing. Her tears began to fall more freely as she stared at the broken roof. Soft snow had begun to fall inward, the eerie glow of the moon making the entire world seem soft. Edward hadn't come. She shut her eyes, tears burning the skin of her cold face. James's taunting laugh made it even worse.

"What did you think was going to happen?" he hissed in her ear. "Did you expect him to come in, hasten to your rescue? He probably can't even hear you. Admit it... your time is up. You've lost... And now you're mine." She cringed as the fangs once more made it to her neck. Why...? Why didn't he come? Her body swirled into a raging torrent of despair and fear. James's disgusting tongue once more made itself known, wetting the spot he was to bite. It was all over. She was going to die. She watched the snow fall, realizing what a beautiful scene it truly made. Heaven was there. Would she be accepted into such a place? Alice had said that to love a vampire is to damn herself to eternal suffering. She consoled her heart. For the first time, she ignored the excuses – the past experiences and the masks that she wore. What did she feel. It was strange... but then, in her moment of certain death, she was more sure of herself then any time before.

And at that moment, she was certain that she had fallen in love with Edward Cullen.

The fangs came closer to her. She cried out as they pierced her neck. Warm blood spilled to the belt beneath her. She trembled, trying to push him off with what little strength she had. It was no use. She realized that he would now suck her dry. That's when something happened. One moment, he was on top of her, drinking her blood, and the next, she felt that terrible pressure yank off of her. Her watering eyes popped open and she looked up. The moon light frosted over the contours of his body, his eyes alight with a vengeful fire. Edward Cullen had pulled James off of her, throwing him across the room. Without a second thought, he lunged forward, cradling her in his arms and holding her tight. She felt a warmth of reality wash over her. Trembling, she latched her good arm around his neck and buried her face into his chest.

He had come. He had heard her. He was there to save her. She had never felt so relieved in all her life. She let out a couple of sobs, gripping his neck for dear life. Edward swept her up into his arms easily, looking at her with earnest eyes. "Are you all – ?"

"ARGH!" With a yell, James tore him away, causing him to drop Bella. She hit the floor and rolled on her side, her shoulder even more stressed from the hit. She looked up to see the two vampires struggle with one another, James screaming at him like a wild animal. Edward hit him quickly and slipped out of his grasp, jumping a good distance away from him. He took a firm stance, glaring at James defiantly. Bella felt hypnotized by his glaring irises. A strange fear that had nothing to do with James sprung up into her. A howl of laughter came from James's side of the room.

"So you've finally decided to play then?!" he cried hysterically. "Well come on then! Show me your true form!" Bella's head whipped back to Edward, propping her body up with her one good arm. She was captivated. True form? Was Edward's dark gift like James's horrible transformation? She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. Edward growled at James before closing his eyes. His skin began to change.

Bella watched as his once pallid white skin turned into an ashy gray... Almost black. A strange aura began to waft its way up from his form, trailing the air like smoke from a cigarette. The details of his body became duller and more simplified, the partials of his skin suddenly starting to become transparent, save for a few body pieces. His clothes fell through his body, landing on the floor. His eyes lost their corneas, becoming a solid amber. He looked as though his body had been replaced with a ghostly fog. He opened his mouth, each one of his teeth shaped in malicious cone like bones, his tongue now longer then James's. He screeched, soaring towards James in an astounding display of speed. But when he came to the vampire's chest, he didn't bowl him over. Instead, he went straight inside him. James's eyes widened. He gripped his head, crying out as though Edward was doing something inside of him. Blood dribbled from his nose, eyes, and ears. He jerked back and forth, screaming and clawing at nothing. Edward finally threw himself out, and dove back in. He began to do it several times, causing James to shift this way and that, thundering out in terrible pain. It finally got to a point to where he brought the monster to his knees. Edward pulled out, hovering above him. James glowered at him, clutching his stomach and spitting out a bit of blood. Edward soared around like a fearsome ghost, and then dove for one final, fatal hit. Inches away from James's face, he stopped. Bella, entrapped in watching the two of them, gasped and let out a little yell of surprise. James had thrust his hand into Edward's body, grabbing his spine. Edward's ghostly face began to show pain. The heart wrenching sounds of crackling bone shot through the room. Edward wailed, his skin flickering between fog and flesh. He was loosing.

Grinning through a bloody face, James yanked his hand back out. Edward snapped back into his regular form, James having tore out a good chunk of his stomach. Blood shot out, spattering them both. He fell to the floor, spasming and screaming in absolute pain. The smell of death was potent as he trembled, gritting his teeth together tightly. Bella shook, her one shred of hope torn to pieces. James glanced over his shoulder and grinned sadistically. He kicked Edward to lay on his back. "You will watch this," he growled. Turning, he began to to move towards Bella. Edward protested weakly, trying to reach for them. Bella scrambled backwards, now able to get motion in her legs. She then felt something against her hand. A piece of wood that broke from the roof. It was perfectly sharp at the end. She grabbed it just as James approached her. In one last attempt, she rushed up and launched the stake at his chest. He caught her wrist easily.

Bella felt color drain from her face. Her one last chance, and it was gone. He laughed in her face, leaning forward. She could still feel his fangs from before. He would kill her now. Right in front of Edward. He opened his mouth wide, Bella watching as blood and saliva mixed inside his mouth. He was just ready to bite her again, when he was jerked back. "What!?" He looked at his wrists. Edward had run up behind him, and grabbed them with as much power as he could.

"_DO IT BELLA_!"

Without a second thought, Bella sent the stake into James's chest. His eyes widened as deep crimson shot out from the wound. She shut her eyes to guard herself from the spatter. She could hear the sounds of gurgling as the creature died, his body falling to the ground. She opened them back up to see him collapse. He was dead.

Bella stood over him, the bloody stake still in her hand. He had changed back to his original form before going still. His eyes stared at nothing above him, a gaping hole now where his heart once was. Bella couldn't bring herself to realize that she had just killed something. But slowly, she did begin to come to terms with it. Doused in his blood, holding the thing that ended his life, she knew now that it was over. It had to be over. Her eyes fell to Edward. It took a second before he stumbled backwards, his hands going to his own wound. He let his gaze fall on her before his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he fell. Bella rushed to him, kneeling beside him and letting his head rest on her thighs. He crumbled in pain, gripping himself tightly. Sweat and blood intermingled, dripping from every pore of his body. He panted and groaned, a couple of tears making themselves known. What could she do? Was he dying too? Her body hurt as well, but she knew that it was nothing compared to the Hell he was going through. She felt fear take a whole new hold on her. Bella gripped him close. He couldn't even speak. Blood was starting to spread, darkening both of their clothes. What was she to do? Her eyes wandered to her hand. She still held the stake. Slowly, an idea came to her head. Edward seemed to notice the stake as well through his pain. They looked at one another. She knew what she had to do. Very slowly, she lifted the stake, and shifted him in her grasp. His eyes lingered on the wooden weapon before closing. He seemed content with whatever she was to do. She brought the stake down... and slit her own palm.

Tossing the stake to the side, she held him up as best she could with a broken shoulder, and held the hand to his mouth. His eyes opened and he stared at her, confused. "Just don't bite," she said softly. His gaze fell to the hand. Like a hungry dog, he gripped her palm and sat up, lapping at it with his hot tongue. He panted, licking and drinking her blood. She could feel the tips of his fangs as he licked up her blood. She knew what kind of risk she was taking. She offered him her blood. If his teeth pierced her skin... she would become a vampire. But they never did, and she remained human. Finally, he finished, letting his head settle on her unbroken shoulder. He caught his breath as they held each other, mingled with sweat, tears, blood and pain.

It was over. Finally, it was over. Bella let a smile come to her face as they embraced, gently swaying back and forth. He pulled back from her, looking her in the eye. His fingertips trailed her sticky cheek. "Thank you..." Bella took his cold hand and pressed it to her face, the sensation cooling her skin. She looked at him earnestly.

"...I love you..."

She said it. She admitted it. Alice's threat was now real. Would she be doomed to a life of torment now? Would she be lead down a path of sadistic, self destruction? Will she loose her sanity? Or perhaps die all together? Whatever her future... she knew she could not deny her heart any longer. She loved him. There was nothing she could do about it.

A tender smile came to his face. Leaning in, he let their lips touch briefly, the salty taste of her blood on his mouth. He pulled away then, petting her hair with one hand. "I love you too..." he said softly. Those three words were enough to bring her to tears. She shut her eyes and leaned forward, laying on her.

She may live to regret it. She may not live at all. But for now... she could not deny her heart.

This isn't the end! There are a couple of chapters left! And then it's on to New New Moon! Remember, review!

~T.


	31. A New Day

Alright, I have a homework assignment for you! In your review of this chapter, give me an idea for the new name for "Eclipse". It must have the word "Eclipse" in it, and consist of three words. If I like it, it'll be the title of the third book!

**Thirty One: A New Day**

"_**A** man was found dead last night by local authorities in the abandoned saw mill owned by Leslie Willard. Police investigations have lead to believe that he along with two other suspects have been behind the recent attacks on Forks locals. He was found without any form of identification after the roof of the mill collapsed due to neglect and weather. The cause of death has been deemed an accident. His companions, another man and a woman, have seemingly fled Forks. Police are urged to keep a look out for two suspicious figures traveling on foot. In other news..."_

Carlisle shut off the hospital room television, satisfied. He set the remote to the side and folded his arms. He turned to Esme. "You did a wonderful job of influencing the media, darling. Thank you."

Esme smiled gently, nodding. "Of course, dear."

It was the morning after the nomads' final attack. For the second time since she had arrived in Forks, Bella found herself in a hospital bed. This time, however, she shared her room with Jacob. He hadn't suffered all that much, but there were several scratches on his skin that were now gauzed up. She herself had a broken shoulder blade and internal bruising. But nothing that wouldn't heal. In all honesty, she was thankful to be alive. It had been a terrifying night for everyone. Though James was dead, Victoria and Laurent had escaped. However, they were all certain that they wouldn't try anything else like that for a long time to come. The only real problem they had now was the media finding a corpse in the saw mill, and her father freaking out to the point of insanity. It was fortunate that Esme had the dark gift of persuasion. It was much like Alice's gift, accept less sexual and much more withstanding of time. This way, the authorities would give only a side glance at the case, rather then diving in depth with a full media coverage. Esme also would make Charlie conveniently forget that his daughter was put in harms way that night every time he would leave the hospital. It would just make more trouble if he was on a path of vendetta against Victoria and Laurent. As far as he knew, Bella was volunteering here. Once she was out of of the hospital, he'd have no recollection of the indecent. It took a lot out of Esme to preform so much in one event, but she was happy to help. Bella let her head fall to the pillow. The Cullens had swung by to make sure everything was as it should be. They could only stay for so long, however. The sun would be coming out by that afternoon. Bella let her eyes fall to Edward, who stood near the back. As Carlisle went on about how he predicted the nomads might move next, he let out a small smile. She did the same. Noticing this, Emmet nudged his brother's side.

"Well then." Carlisle turned to Bella, his arms folded. "It looks as though everything's in order. Your case is directly under me, so it should be fine. I'll check on the both of you as much as I can." That's when he smiled. Bella was taken aback by the gesture. He almost didn't look the same. Now, Bella understood how Jacob's grandfather thought of Carlisle as a kind man. For as he smiled, a gentleness came through the Bella didn't even know existed. He walked over and pat her shoulder. "You did beautifully, Miss Swan."

Bella returned his gesture, though weakly. "Thank you, sir."

Carlisle spun around to Jacob. "You too, Mr. Black. We couldn't have done it without Quileute support. "And you should thank your friend as well."

"Sam you mean," said Jacob. He nodded and shifted in bed. "Sure, I'll tell him. Thanks."

Bella beamed at the two of them. Despite the hostility between the Cullens and the Quileute, Carlisle still made time to be diplomatic and polite. If her respect for the vampire was at that point appropriate, now it was profound. "Miss Bella?" Bella blinked and turned her eyes to Jasper. He stood beside Emmet, who had a hand on his shoulder. The boy looked quite adorable in his over sized sweat shirt that Carlisle made him wear, as well as the ball cap with the big bill that sat over his gray face. The head of the vampire family also made him wear shoes. He wore them without socks, the laces untied and laying at their sides. He dug through the large pocket of his sweat shirt and held up an old, antique doll. It was just a bit bigger then his hand, the body made of porcine. Tufts of silky, black hair were missing from the head, and what was there was matted and tangled. Its blue eyes stared at her with a slight daunting, yet strangely beautiful look. He set it on her lap. "This was Miss Bessy's. She gave it to me, and I kept it." Bella took it, a wave of compassion overpowering her. She looked up to Jasper, a smile coming to her face.

"You're giving it to me? Oh Jasper, I don't think I can..."

Jasper shrugged. "I dun want it no more." He shoved his hands back into his pockets and then poked out a small smile. It truly made his age show through. "I guess... I want us to be friends, Miss Bella." Bella's smile grew wider and she leaned over, pulling Jasper into a hug. He was tense at first, but then lightly hugged back before slipping out of her grasp and scurrying behind Emmet. It was enough to make her laugh. She set the doll on the table beside her and looked up as Rosalie addressed her.

"Don't think you can be liberal with our identities now," she reminded Bella stiffly. "We're still in hiding. And you knowing about us still puts us at risk. And I'll remind you that – "

"Rosie." Emmet put his hand on Rosalie's lower back, causing her to look up. He smiled kindly. "Let the poor kid alone. If she hasn't exposed us by now, something tells me she won't later."

Rosalie frowned. "It can't help to be careful..." The male vampire chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"Right, of course." Bella let a small giggle go at the both of them. It seemed that the over cautious Rosalie fit very well with the light hearted Emmet. He kept her in check; made sure she didn't take things too seriously. A perfect match, Bella supposed.

"Well, let's go, shall we?" came Esme's light voice. "It should be getting sunny soon." Carlisle agreed and they began to file out. Bella watched them leave, thanking them for coming. She noticed that Edward was the last one out. He stayed behind, and when Emmet asked if he was coming, he asked for a moment alone. Soon, it was only he, Bella, and Jacob in the room. He turned and looked to the wolf. They stared at one another, a very terse silence cutting through the once cheerful room.

"...Thanks for what you did," Edward said first. "If you hadn't come... Bella might be dead."

Jacob's face didn't change. "Yeah," he said. "She might have." Bella frowned at him. Here Edward was trying to swallow his pride, and Jacob was still being a prick about things. He glanced at her before rubbing his head. "But... it was you who got there at the end..." There was another thick silence. Edward crossed his arms, frowning.

"I still hate you."

"I know. I do too."

Edward nodded, glad they were on the same page. He then turned to Bella, smiling a bit. With another little glance to Jacob, he yanked the curtain divider between the two and leaned in, smiling kindly. "I'll come back tonight, ok?"

"Ok." Bella pulled him in, the two kissing softly. She let her fingertips touch his cold neck, smiling brightly up at him. "Thanks for at least trying to be nice," she said gently.

Edward shrugged. "Couldn't hurt, right?" He leaned in for another kiss. The two stayed like that for a moment before Edward stood. "See you later. I love you."

Bella squeezed his hand. "I love you too." With that, Edward left. The once noisy room now had an unsettling quiet move over the atmosphere. Bella looked towards the divider that Edward had pulled between them. Carefully, she removed it. She noticed that Jacob was pointedly staring at the window. She didn't want to flaunt her and Edward's relationship in his face. It was bad enough she didn't feel the same to begin with, but rubbing it in by being lovey dovey right in front of him... that was cruel. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Finally, she frowned and took a small pillow, chucking it at him. He turned around, eyes vaguely confused. "Don't pout," she said, hands on her hips. Well, one hand, anyway. The other was in a sling. She smiled a bit. "Come on. If you're in a bad mood, who'll make fun of day time television with me?" She took the remote that Carlisle used and turned it on to some melodramatic soap opera. A woman with heavy make up was crying, sobbing about someone named Paul and Sammy. Bella snorted. "I think she's in love with who she things was the good guy, but who actually turned out to be the good guy's evil twin. What do you think?"

Jacob took a moment or two before actually smiling. "Actually, he's a scientist's clone."

Bella chuckled. "Right! A clone sent to destroy the Earth!"

"What, like an alien?"

"Yeah, why not?"

So, the day went on. Soon, their jokes lead them to the conclusion that Martha was in love with Paul, but Sammy was his biological twin who was only half related because he's the spawn of undead aliens. All the while, a mad scientist was programming Jason – the robot – into making a terrible cake for Andrea's and Jessie's wedding. The wedding itself was actually a cover up for a satanic ritual to raise Marlyn Monro from her grave. Once the show was over, Bella switched it off, and the two fell into playing cards. As always, Bella came out victorious. They were just thinking of something else to do, when Jacob stopped her. "Bella... look." He pointed out the window. She peered through the glass and frowned.

"What?"

"Look," he repeated. "Right there. In the snow. Take a look."

She leaned forward and narrowed her eyes, trying to find whatever it is that he was pointing to. Then, she saw it. Through the snow, a small patch of green had spouted from the white. A small daisy had popped from it, the bud opening as the sun above it shone. A smile spread to Bella's face. The snow was melting. She placed her palm on the cold window, her breath making little steam marks on the glass. She turned to Jacob, eyes brighter then they had ever been. With a small nod, she shifted back in her bed, staring at the ceiling.

For the first time, she now knew that everything would be ok.

Relatively short chapter, yes. But it's not the end! The last chapter's coming up! And then, well... you know what happens after that. Leave a review! And remember your homework!

~T.


	32. Spring

Alright! This is the last chapter before I start New New Moon! It's been a great run getting to know my readers, and I hope you like what I do with the upcoming books! I still haven't quite settled on a name for Eclipse yet... so if you have an idea, leave it with your review!

For the final review of Twilight the Rewrite, I want you to tell me your favorite part of this one, and what you want to see in the new ones.

And this will be a short chapter, I do believe, but it's just going to wrap everything up, and setting things up for the next book.

**Thirty Two: Spring**

**T**he winter snow soon melted, giving way to a beautiful spring. Green now sat where white once dwelled, and flowers that survived the frost began to bloom. At school, things had reverted back to normal. And though Edward could no longer return as frequently as he once could, he and Bella still made it a point to meet as frequent as possible. The weather was frequently wet, but it was so unpredictable that Edward couldn't risk it. One Saturday afternoon, it was raining quite heavily. Charlie was off doing his duties, leaving Bella alone in the house. It was a perfect time for Edward to sneak over for a visit. Though he normally came to her window at night, it was nice for him to come with Charlie wasn't home. It made them a lot less nervous if they were the only ones in the house. It also allowed them to do things they weren't able to do with a third party present. That afternoon, they had decided to lay along the couch and play with one another's tonsils. Something they didn't dare attempt when Charlie was around for obvious reasons. Bella laid beneath the vampire as their tongues intermingled, her arms locked around his neck. Though his body was quite cold to the touch, his hot mouth made her cheeks flush crimson. It was an odd yet proper balance of temperature for him, making her head whirl. Finally, she broke apart to catch her breath, her heart pounding in her neck. He smiled down at her, his eyes twinkling and his fangs resting against his lips.

"Tired?" he asked. His breath was barely labored.

Bella laughed and pushed a pillow to his face. He took it away and snuck another kiss before laying along her body, his forehead resting at the crux of her neck. She laced her fingers through his hair, closing her eyes. They rested like this for some time, Bella's mind lost in thought. Though the horrors of that winter were now nothing more but memory, she still dwelled on their adventure now and again. Sometimes – though she would never admit this to Edward – she had nightmares. Nightmares of her being lead into graves by fierce, red eyes. Nightmares of James, devouring her slowly and painfully. The thought of her dreams made her knit her brows together. The story of Lenore drifted in and out of her thoughts constantly. She was still frowning when Edward kissed her cheek.

"Something wrong?" he asked softly.

"Mm." Bella shifted beneath him and then let her head rest a bit higher on the arm of the couch. "Edward... have you ever heard of Lenore?"

"Lenore?" Edward propped himself on his elbows, thinking. "It... sort of rings a bell... Why?"

Bella paused, looking at him. What use would it be to worry him with an old ghost story? And if he wasn't aware of it, why should she bring it up? It was pointless, and would only make him fret over probably nothing. She put on a smile and shook her head. "Nothing," she told him, stroking his icy cheek. "Oh!" A thought came to her. One that would distract him from asking any questions about the previous topic. "You know that summer photo class? I signed up for it. If I get to go, I'll be able to go by myself to Seattle for a summer."

"That's awesome," he said brightly. "I sure hope you get to go."

"I do too," Bella said. "The program's a little expensive, but I get an apartment to live in that's right next to the photo center."

"Well if you need money," Edward began. But Bella stopped him.

"It's all settled. I have some money I've been storing away for a while, and mom said that she'd be happy to help, too. Really." She gave him a reassuring kiss and smiled. He chuckled and they were about to kiss again, when a knock came to the door. Bella stared curiously at the frame. "That's weird... Hold on." She got to her feet and walked to the door, opening it. The person who stood on her porch stunned her. For a moment, she couldn't speak. "C...Chris...?"

"Ta-da!" he said weakly, putting his umbrella away. He looked the same as ever, accept he was now in a large parka, and soaked like a drowned rat. He flashed her a bright smile and shoved his hands in his pockets. There was a very awkward pause. "So um... Spring vacation started." Bella remembered now that her school started vacation earlier then Forks. "Thought I'd... you know... come up and visit? And... And I want to say that I'm sorry. I was a real asshole, Bella." He unbuttoned his jacket and pulled out a small bouquet of flowers. "And I want to make it up to you... So... let's start over, yeah?"

Bella stared at him. She didn't know what to say. What could she say? She eyed the flowers, but never took them. "I... Chris..." She couldn't speak any longer, however, because she suddenly felt Edward's strong arms link around her from behind. He stared at the boy with fear in his eyes. It seemed that Edward's mere presence caused him to be weary. Bella forgot that he had that affect on people.

"Who's the stray?" he asked easily, his voice sly. Bella felt herself switch back on and she turned to Chris.

"Um... Chris, this is my boyfriend... Edward. Edward, my ex, Chris."

"Ah," he said smoothly. "So this is the guy who broke your heart." Bella could watch him swallow uneasily. Edward let out a faint chuckle. "Measly looking, isn't he?"

Bella rolled her eyes, realizing that he was now just trying to intimidate him for sport. "Chris... I appreciate the visit. I do, but... I've moved on. I'm sorry."

Chris took his flowers back, his eyes lowering in embarrassment. "Oh... Well I guess I can't say I don't deserve this..." Bella could tell that he truly resented his actions. She slipped out of Edward's grasp and put her hands on his shoulders. He glanced at her, and she smiled kindly. She felt no more anger. She knew that what he did was stupid, as did he. Now, there was no reason why they shouldn't be friends.

"Why don't you come in?" she invited. "You'll catch a cold otherwise." He smiled weakly and shook his head, stepping back.

"No," he said. "It's fine. I need to go regroup with my mom anyway. It was... nice seeing you again, Bella. Drop by if you're ever in Phoenix." She said she would. With a wave and a goodbye, she shut the door. Turning, she spotted Edward back on the couch. He laid there, hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling. She walked over to him and sat on his lap, straddling him. He glanced at her and then stared back up. Leaning forward, she kissed him gently. He paused before returning it. She laughed a bit.

"Are you jealous, Mr. Cullen?" A tiny smile tickled the corners of his mouth.

"Perhaps, Miss Swan," he said playfully. "Perhaps."

"Well there's no need." Bella laid along him, kissing him again. "Really... I meant it when I said that I've moved on."

"I know." He sat up, placing her on his thighs. "I believe you, Bella." After kissing a bit more, she turned and sat up against him, mindlessly watching the blank TV screen. "Hey." She looked up to him. "Do you think we'll last?" She shifted to see him better. "The two of us, I mean."

She gave it some thought. Would they last? She aged much faster then he did. Would they be _able_ to last? She shrugged then and put herself in her rightful place against him.

"Maybe we will," she began, "maybe we will. Who knows? But... let's just see where life takes us. How does that sound?"

There was a silence. He moved his hand up and gently touched her chin, turning her head around. He smiled, staring deeply into her eyes.

"That sounds perfect."

TO BE CONTINUED IN... _NEW NEW MOON._

COMING SOON TO A FANFICTION SITE NEAR YOU!

There we are! The end of Twilight the Rewrite. Final thoughts? I'll see you in the next edition!

~T.


	33. NEW NEW MOON PREVIEW

Hello everyone. Now I know that this story is finished, but it doesn't look like New New Moon is doing as well as this one did. So I figured I'd give you a preview of my first chapter. If you want to read New New Moon, please go to my page. It's already up there.

****

NEW NEW MOON: PREVIEW

**O**n the north western plane of the world, tucked away in a small corner of trees and shrub, was a small town by the name of Forks, Washington. It was a quaint little place, a sleepy peacefulness about it. Forks itself was surrounded by forest, and just a small ways off, ocean. The sky was either a calming gray because of the clouds, or a clear, acrylic blue. Currently, it was the latter. Spring was in its final stages, and summer was just around the corner. The heavy snow, which once caked the ground with powdery white, left without so much as a trace behind. The overpowering green of the place made things seem cool and calm. Flowers began to blossom, and were now in full bloom. In town, shop owners had their doors wide open, people who walked along the street casually saying hello to one another. Across from the large hardware store, an elderly Mrs. Ginsberg sat on her porch, drinking iced tea and reading an old novel. Mr. Sholtz, who lived just a few blocks away mowed his lawn, his golden retriever loafing in the grass he just cut. A block away from them, the sheriff's cruiser sat out front of the old diner, Chief Swan himself sitting at the counter and eating a piece of blue berry pie. His favorite. Just beyond the tiny town, the beginnings of the old, run down saw mill poked its smoke stacks from the tops of the trees. In the complete opposite direction, up the hill from Forks, sat the high school. It perched upon a flat plot of hillside, a winding road leading to its parking lot. It was a spread out building, the eggshell white of the walls fading with the passing years. Cars of every shape and size sat idol in the lot, waiting for their drivers to leave the class room. And just beyond the school – high, high above them on the hill – was an old, Victorian house. It sat peacefully, hidden mostly by the dense forest that surrounded it. But if one looked carefully and at the right angle, one could see it very clearly. This was exactly what young Bella Swan was doing at that very moment.

She was a slightly tall girl, with a thin stature and hardly a bosom to speak of. Her frizzy, brown hair was usually tied in a pony tail, her matching eyes sitting in a pale, somewhat freckled face. She had her chin propped in her palm, her elbow resting on the table in front of her. Her test – which was done – lay face down beside her elbow. She had nothing better to do then stare off into space. Her eyes moved towards the empty seat beside her. She wished he could have come to school today to keep her company, but the sun was too bright out today. She wouldn't want him to risk it. The soon-to-be eighteen year old was thinking of her boyfriend, a Mr. Edward Cullen.

What could be said about Edward? He was an interesting character, to say the least. Their beginnings had not been all that flawless. He threatened her life at least once, and started out despising her for the simple fact that she attempted to be nice. He seemed to hate her best friend, Jacob Black, and – until meeting Bella – had never driven before in his life. He was also a vampire.

So many things happened in the past year. Things that Bella never thought would happen in her wildest dreams. Her life was constantly in danger, and she came out of the whole thing with a broken shoulder blade, though she was lucky to be alive. But now... these things were all really just fond memories. Well... perhaps not her near death experiences, but most everything else. Because through the turmoil, uncertainty and utter fear that she felt that winter, she and the elusive and slightly emo-ish Edward had fallen in love. Bella looked at their intimacy now and compared it to the hostility of the past, and almost found herself laughing. Back then, she never would have guessed it, but the boy could prove to be the most tender soul. It nearly scared her at first. Now, however, she more then happily fell victim to his kindness. Unfortunately, as the days grew warmer, his appearance at school became scarcer. For obvious reasons, of course. She tapped her paper, her eyes once more reverting to the house on the hill. It was Edward's house. She hadn't noticed it before he started coming to school less and less. Even though they were dating now, she still felt weary about going near it. Namely because of his "family".

Edward lived with six other vampires in that house. His supposed brothers, Jasper and Emmett, Bella didn't have a problem with. Emmett was easy to talk to and often felt like a big brother figure to her as well. Jasper, on the other hand, had warmed up to Bella and treated her like an adored sister. Rosalie, Edward's sister, wasn't all that bad either. She was somewhat stiff, but only for precautionary measures. Esme, Edward's mother, was a kind woman who seemed to be the peace maker of sorts within the family. The only real problem lay with Edward's father, Carlisle, and his other sister, Alice. Strict and commanding, Carlisle Cullen demanded respect with his mere presence. He often looked at Bella with such a piercing eye, she feared to stare back too long. And then, there was Alice...

Alice Cullen... The name still brought chills to her spine. Thin and sly looking, Alice moved with the grace of a prowling snake. The first time they had met, Alice had attempted to seduce and take blood from Bella. She would have succeeded, if Edward hadn't stopped her. This last winter, when she and Edward were just starting to warm up to one another, she left Bella with a daunting warning. She told the story of Lenore, a woman who blindly followed her vampire lover to the grave. Alice explained to her that those who loved vampires were cursed with misery. So far, Bella had her fair share of misfortune, but lately, she had been rather happy. Still, the words haunted her from time to time. The nightmares that she had often consisted of those words. She didn't plan on telling Edward this, as he would just be worried...

"...ella... Bella...! Yo!"

Bella jumped slightly and looked over to Mike, who was waving a hand in front of her face. He laughed at her and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Mike was one of her friends at school, and was actually human. He had a charming way about him, an easy likeness to his face and attitude. "I've been calling your name for the past minute. I was going to ask what you were doing tonight."

"Tonight?" Bella thought about it. It was Friday night. Her friends usually liked to steal her away for things on Fridays and Saturdays. She thought about it for a second. "Hm... Sure, I think I'm free. But I can't stay out too late."

Mike nodded. "Yeah, I know. We were thinking about heading to Port Angeles for a bit. Interested?"

"Sure," said Bella brightly. She gathered her things and headed out of the classroom. The bell had already rung, and her daydreaming cost her a minute of passing period. She headed to math, her books in her arms. It was true that she didn't like to stay out too late. It was her habit these days to come home before Charlie did. Not because she wanted to be home when her father walked through the door, but because that time between sunset and his arrival was perfect for some alone time with a certain vampire boy. She supposed that was an incredibly selfish and wicked way of thinking, but she couldn't help herself. She did enjoy Charlie's company. One of her favorite things to do was watch old movies with him. Just a few days ago, she and her dad sat down to the _Maltese Falcon_. Film noir was always so interesting. Not to mention, the black and white cinematography helped her with her own passion: pictures. She would have never even gotten into photography if it wasn't for Edward's Christmas gift; a brand new, professional camera. By that time, the thing was filled to the brim with pictures.

After the school day was over, she and the others – Mike, Jessica, Tyler and Angela – followed each other down the road toward Port Angeles. It was a small shopping town, mainly set up for tourists. Yet to Bella, the place had a good amount of charm that made it appealing. They caught a movie together and grabbed a quick bite too eat. After a few good hours of laughing, Bella noticed the sun going down. She said her goodbyes and was ready to leave, when Tyler stopped her.

"It's like you're afraid of the dark," he commented lightly. "You never stay out at night any more. How come?"

Bella shrugged. "I just like to get home before it's too late." Jessica chuckled, patting her shoulder.

"What, afraid of the vampires?" she asked.

That caused a laugh from Bella. What an ironic thing to say. She talked her way out of it and said goodbye, heading to her truck. She rode home, happily humming to herself. This had been a pretty good day. She drummed along the steering wheel with her fingers, listening to the radio. It wasn't long until she returned home, parking her truck and hopping out. Charlie's cruiser was not there. She was just ready to head inside, when she paused and turned, looking up to the darkening sky. Things were going so well... She was so happy.

Little did she know what the future held in store for her.

So yeah. It's already up and posted! Go check it out!

~T.


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